Pakistan Women’s Team wins T20 series 2-1

The Pakistan Women’s Team defeated the Sri Lanka Women’s Team by 38 runs in the decisive final T20 match of the 3-match series at e SSC grounds on Saturday. Put into bat the Pakistani lasses totaled 113 for 6 wickets in 20 overs at a run rate of 5.65 an over.  The Sri Lanka Women’s Team replied with75 for 8 off 20 overs at a run rate of 3.75.

The Sri Lankan lasses, who went into the decisive match with their morale high having comprehensively won the second game, however failed to maintain the same tempo. The decision not to bat first on the luck of the coin might well be a factor the Lankan Skipper Chamari Atapattu would have rued.

While the Pakistani batters had things their way in running up a hundred plus total with ease for the loss of just six wickets, the Sri Lankan batters lost their way through indiscriminate running between the wickets. Four run outs including that of inform opening batsman M.A.H. Sanjeewani for 14 when looking well set and that of Shashikala Siriwardene for 1 was the heavy toll that foiled the home team’s run chase. The other run out casualties were Rebecca Vandort who had shaped up well in the series for 6 and G.W.H. Perera for 18 when shaping up well. Things began badly for the home team with Atapattu departing for 1 and in the wake of the spate of run outs Sri Lanka collapsed to 7 for 36 in 9.2 overs. No.5 batsman H.I.S. Mendis top scored with an unbeaten 25 off 49 balls with a solitary boundary and put on 14 for the eighth wicket with K.A.D.A. Kanchana who made 9 off 13, and a further unbroken 25 for the ninth wicket with K.D.U. Prabodhani who was on 6 off 17. The Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 14.

Top scorer for Pakistan was star batter Javeria Khan with a run a ball 38 with 3 boundaries followed by opener Sidra Ameen who made 23 off 34 sans a boundary. B.M.S.M. Kumari claimed 2 for 20 and O.U. Ranasinghe 2 for 23.

Chief Scores:

Pakistan Women’s Team 113/6 (20 Overs)

(J. Khan 38, S. Ameen 23, B.M.S.M. Kumari  2/20, O.U. Ranasinghe 2/ 23)

Sri Lanka Women’s Team 75/8 (20 Overs)

( H.I.S. Mendis  n.o. 25, M.A.H. Sanjeewani  14, B. Maroof 2/14).

By Srian Obeyesekere

 -The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket