Australia, led by a stand-in skipper, Emily Powell, were up against Sri Lanka, led by skipper Chamodi Praboda, in the 3rd match at the Ian Healy Oval, on 8th April 2026, in the ongoing Under-19 Tri-series.
Sri Lanka defeated England by 52 runs in the 2nd game of the series on 7th April 2026, at the Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane.
Sri Lankan skipper Chamodi Praboda won the toss and opted to bat first. The Sri Lankan openers Vimoksha Balasuriya and Sanjana Kavindi got their side off to a much better start with a 49-run opening stand. Ava Drury provided the first breakthrough for Australia by dismissing Sanjana Kavindi (19 off 48 balls) in the 15th over of the innings.
Umayangana Peiris joined Vimoksha Balasuriya at the crease, and the duo stitched another crucial 35-run partnership for the 2nd wicket, which also took them past the 100-run mark. Mia Barwick broke the stand by sending Umayangana Peiris (20 off 25 balls) back to the pavilion in the 21st over of the innings, providing the 2nd breakthrough for her side.
Sri Lanka suffered a disastrous collapse as they lost their next 7 wickets for just 58 runs. Chamodi Herath (20* off 20 balls) joined Yesali Jithara (16 off 40 balls) at the crease in the 40th over of the innings, and the pair were tasked to bat out the remaining overs for their side. They almost survived their quota of overs, putting on a much-needed partnership worth 32 runs, which took them closer to the 200-run mark. Sri Lanka were eventually bundled out for a respectable total of 174, with three balls to spare.
Vimoksha Balasuriya (25 off 56 balls) and Shashini Gimhani (19 off 32 balls) chipped in with vital contributions with the bat for Sri Lanka. Lack of discipline haunted Australia as they leaked as many as 35 runs in extras. Mia Barwick (6.3-0-22-3), Ira Aery (8-0-29-2), Filippa Suesee (9-1-23-1), Ava Drury (8-1-28-1), Ayaka Stafford (8-0-26-1), and skipper Emily Powell (1.3-0-4-1) were the top performers with the ball for Australia.
Chasing a target of 175, Australia got off to a cautious start, while also losing their opening batter Mia Barwick (7 off 11 balls) in the 4th over of the run chase, providing the 1st breakthrough for Sri Lanka. Stand-in skipper Emily Powell joined Shiloh Julien (18 off 48 balls) at the crease, and the duo led some sort of a recovery with a much-needed 24-run partnership for the 2nd wicket.
Aseni Thalagune got the big scalp of the opposition skipper Emily Powell (16 off 24 balls) in the 11th over of the run chase, providing the 2nd breakthrough for her side. Australia were in a tricky situation at 54/3 in the 17th over, when Ayla Johnson joined Indira Panelli at the crease. The duo brought the home side back into the contest with a crucial 53-run partnership for the 4th wicket.
Aseni Thalagune returned and broke the stand by sending Ayla Johnson (20 off 25 balls) back to the pavilion in the 28th over of the innings, providing a vital 4th breakthrough for Sri Lanka in the 28th over of the run chase. Alyssa Dermody joined Indira Panelli at the crease, and the duo took them to the touching distance of a special win with another crucial 54-run partnership for the 5th wicket.
Indira Panelli registered an important half-century (59 off 81 balls) before getting dismissed by Nethmi Upeksha in the 37th over of the run chase. However, there was a twist in the tale as the Sri Lankan bowlers pounced on the opening and scripted a remarkable fightback, accounting for the next four wickets, giving away just 12 runs. As a result, Australia were reduced to 173/9 in the 43rd over of the run chase.
Alyssa Dermody (37* off 43 balls) was Australia’s last hope, and she didn’t disappoint, as she held her composure to guide her side over the line with one wicket in hand and 41 balls to spare, as the home side registered their 2nd consecutive victory in the ongoing series.
Aseni Thalagune (10-0-42-5) was the standout performer with the ball for Sri Lanka, while Nethmi Upeksha (4-2-5-3), skipper Chamodi Pramoda (10-0-33-1), and Chamodi Herath (6-0-29-0) were impressive with the ball for their side.
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