ICC WOMEN’S WORLD CUP-SRI LANKA WOMEN INTO SUPER SIX ROUND

Awakening of Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket
Sri Lanka women team into the SUPER SIX

The other day the Sri Lanka Women’s cricket team beat the reigning champions, England in a preliminary round match. Yesterday under lights they beat the formidable host team India. With these two victories there has been a sudden awakening and interest in Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket. It is the fervent hope of Sri Lankan cricket fans that would go further in the super six rounds of matches.
Yesterday when Sri Lanka defeated India by a margin of 138 runs, it became incidentally the first time Sri Lanka had beaten an Indian team. They have all matches that were previously played. Sri Lanka had lost to India on 18 previous occasions Sri Lanka women commenced playing cricket at this level. This crucial match was played at Mumbai. The pitch was dry and favoured for batting. Sri Lanka skipper Shashikala Siriwardena won the toss all important toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat first on a wicket that promised a lot of runs.
Sri Lanka in their allotted 50 overs amassed their highest score in all their previous One day Internationals. At the end of 50 overs allotted to them they made a massive 282 runs for the loss of only 5 wickets. The Sri Lanka opened with dependable Chamari Attapattu and Yasoda Mendis who put up a century opening stand in the match against England. The very first ball that was bowled was gloriously cover driven for four by Chamari Atapattu to the extra cover fence.But before long in the same over she trying to cut was caught at slips with the total on only four runs.
Yasoda Mendis was joined by Deepika Rasangani who not only consolidated for the loss of their dependable opener, but also started to accumulate runs at around under five runs per over. The pair extended their century stand for the second wicket to 117.With the total on 121 Yasoda Mendis trying to loft over mid off for a six miscued her shot to be caught by Sultana in the mid off area in the 25th over off the bowling of Amitha Sharma.Yasoda made a useful 55 runs. Rasangani was joined by the skipper Shashikala Siriwardena who really started to accelerate the scoring rate. She scored very briskly scoring boundaries all around the ground. Deepika Rasangani and the Shashikala duo batted up to the 40th over before Rasangani who went for lofted shot, miscued her shot to be caught in the off side for a well compiled 84 runs. She had scored her runs in 109 balls with 11 hits to the ropes.
In the meantime skipper Shashikaka who had just completed a well deserved half a century was unfortunately run out by a direct hit at the bowlers end by Reema Malhothra in the 47th over trying to steal a run. She who made 59 runs along with Eshani Kaushalya had accelerated the scoring rate to over five runs per over. The score was then 246 for the loss of 4 wickets. Eshani Kaushalya who is a hard hitting batter just like her flamboyant half a century against England she made another half century which was incidentally the fastest half a century scored by Sri Lanka women’s batter when she made it in just 31 balls which included 6 fours and 3 huge sixers.
Her inning helped Sri Lanka Women‘s team to amass 282 runs for the loss of 5 wickets, a really an imposing total for India to chase in this crucial match. For India Julan Goswamy captured 3 wickets while one wicket was captured by Amitha Sharma.
India in their chase lost their first wicket with the total on 6 with the loss of opener to the bowling of Kaushalya. They lost wickets at regular intervals. The pace and spin combination of Sri Lankan bowlers were able to restrict the formidable India batting line up for a paltry 144 runs in just 42.2 overs. The only resistance came from Reema Malhotra who compiled a painstaking inning of 38 runs before she was run out .It was kaushalya’s quick throw in to the keeper Manodara which helped in her dismissal. Skipper Shashikala Siriwardena and S.R Seveviratna captured two wickets each, while Eashni Kaushalya, K.D.UPrabodhini, S.S Weerakkody, J.Ranaweera  and  S.k.Dolawata captured a wicket each. It was a combined bowling effort backed up by very good fielding which helped to skittle out the strong Indian batting line up. S.R. Seveviratna returned the best bowling figures having capture 2 for 10 runs in her 7.2 overs.
As a result of this victory in this victory in the crucial match Sri Lanka woman’s team was able to enter the super six rounds. Deepika Rasangani for her 84 runs was named ‘Player of the match’. The points table up to the super six rounds are shown below: