The ongoing 8th edition of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup got underway on the 1st of October and below we brief you on the action from the 2nd Semi-Final, Pakistan vs Sri Lanka. The game witnessed the latter batting first post a below-par total that then went on to defend in a thrilling final ball finish to claim the ticket to the Finals.
Match : Semi-Final 2 – Women’s Asia Cup
Sri Lanka – 122/6 (20.0)
Pakistan – 121/6 (20.0)
Sri Lanka opt to bat first and had openers Anushka Sanjeewani and skipper Chamari Athapaththu get going with a boundary and a maximum respectively, after running a few singles and doubles. With 23 on board in the 4th over, the side lost Chamari on 10(11) and Anushka carried on, but wasn’t for long as she on 26(21) was the next to depart. With two new batters, Harshitha Madavi and Nilakshi de Silva in the middle, the side closed out their powerplay on the score of 39/2 on board and post a few tight overs, a leaky 15-run over from Tuba Hassan got Sri Lanka’s total to 63/2 at halfway stage. The two gathered runs and guided Sri Lanka’s total to 87/2 at the 15-over mark, but the need was to accelerate and just when a struggling Nilakshi went for the surge, she departed on 14(27) and the 50-run stand between the two saw curtains. Harshitha Madavi too couldn’t close the game out with a flourish for the side as she walked back on 35(41) and the little start in a much-needed fashion for Sri Lanka Hasini Perera got it soon came to an end on the score of 13(10). Kavisha Dilhari remained unbeaten on 7(3), while Oshadi Ranasinghe on 8(7) departed off the last ball of the innings with 122/6 on board.
Nashra Sandhu topped the wickets chart for the side having finished with figures of 4-0-17-3 and on the chart had Nida Dar, Aiman Anwer and Sadia Iqbal follow with a wicket each to their name.
Pakistan in reply were underway with a boundary off Muneeba Ali’s bat and with her continuing to find gaps, Pakistan were off to a flyer. Pakistan’s 31-run opening stand came to a close off the 1st ball of the 4th over as Muneeba on 18(10) was run out. Bismah Maroof too got underway with a boundary and alongside opener, Sidra Ameen, guided Pakistan’s total to 46/1 at the end of the 6-overs and in no time, Pakistan lost a wicket more as Sidra departed on 9(20). Skipper Maroof was joined by Omaima Sohail and the pair got Pakistan’s total to 62/2 at the halfway mark. The partnership that was building between the two came to an end as Omaima on 10(14) departed and Nida Dar then partnered skipper Maroof. Pakistan at the end of the 15th over got to 89/3 and with a need to accelerate, Maroof responded with back-to-back boundaries. The crucial partnership came to an end in the 18th with the crucial wicket of Bismah Maroof on 42(41) with 107 on board and in adding insult to injury was the wicket of Ayesha Naseem as she departed early on 2(4).
Achini Kulasuriya bowled the final over that had Pakistan requiring 9 off it and got the required down to 3 off the last ball. Nida Dar was sent down a full toss that she hit to the cover region and as it fell out of the outstretched hand of the fielder, Kavisha Dilhari aimed at the stumps, Nida Dar looking to draw the game ran back for a couple, but fell a few steps short of the crease. With Nida Dar run out on 26(26), Pakistan closed out on 121/6 and that had Sri Lanka earn themselves a spot in the finals.
WHAT A WAY TO ENTER THE FINALS!! 🤩#CricketTwitter #WomensAsiaCup2022 pic.twitter.com/mD8yXfnVAv
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 13, 2022
Sri Lanka with the ball had Inoka Ranaweera with the best figures of 4-1-17-2 and had Kavisha Dilhari and Sugandika Kumari follow with a wicket each to their name. Achini, the final over star closed out with figures of 4-0-22-0 and Malsha Shehani too registered an economical spell of 2-0-8-0.
Result : Sri Lanka won by 1 run
VICTORY DANCE ft. Sri Lankan Women’s Cricket Team 😀
after they beat Pakistan to enter the Finals of Women’s Asia Cup 2022 🥳 #CricketTwitter #WomensAsiaCup2022 @ACCMedia1 @OfficialSLC pic.twitter.com/FklmDW2mCD
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 13, 2022
