A breathtaking, unbeaten century by captain Chamari Athapaththu propelled Sri Lanka women to a dominant nine-wicket victory over Ireland at the Bristol County Ground in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. In what was expected to be a crucial mid-tournament clash, Athapaththu’s majestic 106 off just 61 balls turned a competitive chase into a routine stroll under the lights.
Gaby Lewis guides Ireland women
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first on a surface that helped the spinners. Ireland’s innings suffered an immediate setback as the Sri Lankan bowlers, led by a tight spell from Mithali Ayodhya Bandara, put the squeeze on early. The Irish top order crumbled under the pressure, losing a wicket each in the first two overs, including Orla Prendergast. Eventually, they collapsed to a precarious 19/3 within the Powerplay.
However, Captain Gaby Lewis continued her good form from the last match and played a resilient counter-attacking knock to stabilize the Ireland innings. Lewis anchored the innings with a gritty 59 off 50 deliveries, hitting eight boundaries. She found late support in Alice Tector, who provided a much-needed momentum with a quickfire 28 off 21 balls. Their partnership helped Ireland recover. The duo added 45 runs in the last six overs and posted a respectable 130/5 in their allotted 20 overs.
Captain’s knock seals convincing win for Sri Lanka women
Defending 130 required early breakthroughs for Ireland, but Athapaththu had other plans. The Sri Lankan skipper showcased an exhibition of brilliant batting. She combined brutal power with classic timing, smashing 17 boundaries and two towering sixes to score 80 runs off boundaries only.
Ireland’s bowlers had no answer to Athapaththu’s relentless stroke play as she repeatedly found the boundary, finishing at a strike rate of 173.77. Imesha Dulani offered steady support with an unbeaten 20 off 27 balls, and the pair’s 92-run opening stand in 12 overs effectively settled the contest. Sri Lanka reached 134 for 1 with 27 balls remaining, sealing a comprehensive win that gave their net run rate a major boost. Athapaththu was the clear standout. Her commanding century basically dismantled Ireland’s bowling plans and the Irish could never come back.
The victory revived Sri Lanka’s campaign, leaving them chasing another win against Scotland to strengthen their knockout hopes. On the other hand, Ireland must reassess their bowling execution ahead of their remaining group matches.
Brief scores: Ireland 130/5 in 20 overs (Gaby Lewis 59 off 50, Alice Tector 28* off 21; Mithali Ayodhya 1-18) lost to Sri Lanka 134/1 in 15.3 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 106* off 61, Imesha Dulani 20 off 27; Orla Prendergast 1-22) by 9 wickets
Player of the Match: Chamari Athapaththu
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