Follow live scores, commentary and updates from the Women’s T20 World Cup opener between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Cape Town on Friday.
Host South Africa gets its T20 World Cup crusade started against Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka. South Africa won the toss and decided to coliseum.
Chamari Athapaththu’s partial century powered Sri Lanka to129/4 in 20 overs. South Africa needs 130 to win.
Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu made a majestic half- century to lead her platoon to an worried three- run palm against hosts South Africa in the opening match of the Women’s T20 World Cup at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday.
Athapaththu’s 68 off 50 balls enabled Sri Lanka to make 129 for four after they were transferred in to club by the host nation.
Sri Lanka confined South Africa to 126 for nine with accurate slow bowling backed by good fielding.
Left- arm spin bowler Inoka Ranaweera took three crucial lattices and conceded only 18 runs, while fellow left- armer Sugandika Kumari and off- incentive Oshadhi Ranasinghe took two lattices all as South Africa were unfit to put together any substantial hookups. Captain Sune Luus was the top- arranger with 28.
The left- handed Athapaththu hit 12 fours and participated a alternate- gate cooperation of 86 with 17- time-old Vishmi Gunarathne, who made 35.
Both batters fell to good fielding off consecutive balls in the 18th over, precluding a late burst of scoring.
Gunarathne was run out by a direct hit by Tazmin Brits and Athapaththu fell to a diving catch in the deep by Nadine de Klerk off Marizanne Kapp.
South Africa made a brisk launch but Ranaweera sailed directly and had leading batters Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt caught in her first two overs. When Kumari had the big- hitting Chloe Tryon caught in the deep and sailed Anneke Bosch two balls latterly South Africa were in deep trouble at 72 for five.
Nilakshi Silva held three catches in the deep as the Sri Lankan fielders backed up their bowlers superbly.
Luus was stumped off Ranaweera with 17 runs demanded off the last nine balls and two run- outs sealed South Africa’s fate. Know More Women’s Cricket News…
Sri Lanka Women XI: HMD Samarawickrama, C Athapaththu, RMVD Gunarathne, MAA Sanjeewani, NND Silva, WK Dilhari, OU Ranasinghe, KADA Kanchana, S Kumari, I Ranaweera, WGAKK Kulasuriya
South Africa Women XI: L Wolvaardt, T Brits, M Kapp, S Luus, CL Tryon, AE Bosch, N de Klerk, S Jafta, S Ismail, A Khaka, N Mlaba
