Sri Lanka Women Secure Dominant 8 Wickets Win Over Ireland in Final ODI
Sri Lanka concluded their tour of Ireland with great success, fueled by exceptional performances from Achini Kulasuriya and Chamari Athapaththu with a convincing eight-wicket victory in the third and final Women’s ODI.
Sri Lanka lost the series 2-1, but their performance in the decisive game demonstrated their tenacity and resiliency.
Key Performances and Match Results
Ireland 122 (Kelly 35, Athapaththu 3-15, Kulasuriya 3-35, Nisansala 2-35) lost to Sri Lanka 123 for 2 (Samarawickrama 48*, Athapaththu 48, Canning 1-14) by 8 wickets.
In the third and final ODI of the tour against Ireland in Belfast, Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama made it a canter for Sri Lanka, but Achini Kulasuriya’s potent bowling display made their task easy. Ireland, who had already won the series 2-0, crashed to 10 for 3 in five overs when Kulasuriya claimed three wickets. Shortly after, that turned into 28 for 5, but they eventually bounced back to post 122. But with Athapaththu tearing up the board, it was never going to be sufficient.
This time, Athapaththu won the toss and chose to bowl, but Sri Lanka wouldn’t have predicted the early rewards they received. In fact, Ireland scored 255 for 5, good for a victory by 15 runs, thanks to half-centuries from Amy Hunter (66), Leah Paul (81) and Rebecca Stokell (53*), while Sri Lanka chose to field in the previous game.
On this occasion, though, Sarah Forbes and Hunter were dismissed for ducks when quick bowler Kulasuriya struck off the first two deliveries of the innings. The captain, Orla Prendergast, fell next, for three, same to Kulasuriya. With a wicket apiece from Amy Kanchana and Inoshi Priyadharshani, the score was 28 for 5 in the fifteenth over.
The comeback was brought about by Paul and Arlene Kelly. Even though it was excruciatingly slow at times, they managed to score 36 runs in less than 15 overs between them. Kelly was beginning to build up pace when Paul was dismissed by Sachini Nisansala for 19 (in 53 balls), and another spate of wickets went quickly after. Athapaththu took the first wicket from Canning, followed by Kelly in the second wicket, then Athapaththu and Nisansala combined to end the innings.
Priyadharshini’s impressive 10-5-7-1 economy rate of 0.70 ranks her second among Sri Lanka’s female cricketers’ most frugal ODI spells, only surpassed by Rose Dovey’s 1 for 5 (eight maidens) against Pakistan in 2002.
With scores of 0 and 22 in the opening two games, Athapaththu’s ODI series had been quiet. In those two matches, Athapaththu’s replacement, Vishmi Gunaratne, and No. 3 Samarawickrama, took command and scored hundreds, but Ireland was the stronger team both times.
This time, Athapaththu controlled the first wicket partnership of 32 with Gunaratne. In the next eleven and a half overs, he and Samarawickrama put up a 62-run stand for the second wicket, which helped Sri Lanka reach 94 with 32 overs remaining to score 29 runs. With 10 fours in his 48 from 49 balls, Athapaththu scored highly.
The victory seemed imminent, and Samarawickrama led Sri Lanka there with an undefeated 48 in 56 balls, including seven fours of her own. At the conclusion, which arrived in 23.1 overs, Kavisha Dilhari shared 10 off 15 balls with her.
The two-match T20I series ended 1-1, while Ireland went on to win the ODI series 2-1.
