Skipper Fatima Sana’s all-round show guides Pakistan to a comprehensive victory against Sri Lanka in a low-scoring encounter
Pakistan led by skipper Fatima Sana was up against Sri Lanka led by skipper Chamari Athapaththu in the 2nd match of the opening day T20 World Cup fixtures at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana won the toss and opted to bat first. Pakistan got off to a poor start as they lost the wicket of Gull Feroza in the 2nd over of the innings. Sugandika Kumari provided the first breakthrough for Sri Lanka.
Pakistan lost a couple of wickets in quick succession to bring Sri Lanka firmly on top of the game. Nida Dar joined Omaima Sohail at the crease and the duo stitched a much-needed 25-run partnership for the 4th wicket to take their side past the 50-run mark. Kavisha Dilhari picked up the wicket of Omaima Sohail to provide the 4th breakthrough for her side.
Pakistan was eventually bundled out for 116, in their quota of overs. Pakistan suffered a collapse as they lost their last six wickets for just 59 runs. The 28-run 9th wicket partnership between skipper Fatima Sana and Nashra Sandhu took their side past the 100-run mark. Skipper Fatima Sana (30 off 20 balls), Nida Dar (23 off 22 balls), Omaima Sohail (18 off 19 balls), and Sidra Amin (12 off 10 balls) were the top performers with the bat for Pakistan.
Skipper Chamari Athapaththu (4-0-18-3), Sugandika Kumari (4-0-19-3), Udeshika Prabodhani (4-0-20-3), picked up three wickets each and Kavisha Dilhari (2-0-16-1) were the top performers with the ball for Sri Lanka.
Chasing a target of 117, Sri Lanka got off to a poor start as they lost the wicket of their skipper Chamari Athapaththu in the 3rd over of the run chase. Skipper Fatima Sana picked up the wicket of their opposition skipper to provide the first breakthrough for Pakistan.
Harshitha Samarawickrama joined Vishmi Gunaratne at the crease and the duo stitched a much-needed 16-run partnership for the 2nd wicket. Omaima Sohail picked up the wicket of Harshitha Samarawickrama to provide the 2nd breakthrough for her side. Sri Lanka struggled to get going on a tricky pitch and as a result, they were restricted to 85/9 in their quota of overs, falling short of the target by 31 runs. They lost their last seven wickets for 60 runs.
The 18-run 6th wicket partnership between wicket-keeper batter Anushka Sanjeewani and Nilakshika Silva was the highest partnership of the innings for Sri Lanka. Nilakshika Silva (22 off 25 balls), and Vishmi Gunaratne (20 off 34 balls) were the top performers with the bat for Sri Lanka. Sadia Iqbal (4-0-17-3), skipper Fatima Sana (2.5-0-10-2), Nashra Sandhu (4-0-15-2), and Omaima Sohail (4-0-17-2) were the top performers with the ball for Pakistan.
Skipper Fatima Sana was awarded the Player of the Match for her brilliant match-winning all-round performance. She chipped in with a handy contribution (30 off 20 balls) with the bat and returned with match figures (2.5-0-10-2) with the ball. She played a crucial role in helping her side clinch a low-scoring affair against Sri Lanka.
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