Sri Lanka 80 for 1 (Athapaththu 48*) beat UAE 79 (Oza 18, Ayodhya 3-14, Vimukthi 3-16) by nine wickets

Sri Lanka ace the conditions

With conditions offering plenty for seamers, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu opted to bowl, handing the new ball to 19-year-old slinger Ayodhya. She made an immediate impact, striking with the fourth ball of the innings, getting one to swerve late into opener Theertha Satish, who played on to her stumps to depart for a two-ball duck.

Vimukthi, making her T20I debut, then repeatedly found movement away, beating both UAE batters’ outside edges. She continued to test them outside off in her second over as well and was rewarded with her first T20I wicket when a cross-seam delivery on off held its line, beating Lavanya Keny for pace and movement as she played inside the line. The ball crashed into the top of off stump, leaving Keny bowled for just 3 off 11.

UAE’s first boundary came in the fifth over courtesy captain Esha Oza but it was their only respite in a difficult powerplay as they struggled to 22 for 2 from the first six overs.

UAE feel the pressure

Sri Lanka continued to squeeze UAE through the middle overs, with the introduction of left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari adding to their troubles. Her second over brought a wicket, as she dismissed Oza for 18 off 24, tempting the UAE captain into a loose shot with a tossed-up delivery just outside off.

UAE would have lost another wicket soon after as Chamudi Praboda nearly had Samaira Dharnidharka stumped with a flighted delivery on off that drifted in. Dharnidharka was beaten while attempting to drive, but she just managed to ground her back foot before the wicketkeeper could whip off the bails.

UAE’s innings never really gathered momentum as they lost their fourth wicket for just 38 runs before Rinitha Rajith provided a brief spark. She struck two boundaries and looked intent on taking the attack on, while Dharnidharka also found the fence twice before falling to a slower ball from Kavisha Dilhari for 17 off 25.

Vimukthi and Ayodhya returned at the death to take two wickets each off their respective last overs to bowl UAE out for 79.

Athapaththu does it her way

Sri Lanka opener Imesha Dulani got off the mark with a boundary, setting the tone for the chase and racing through the opening three overs.  Athapaththu too chipped in with big hits as the duo plundered more than half the runs required within five overs.

Athapaththu also hit the first six of the match, dancing down the track to launch Oza over mid-off. The shot also took her to 500 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup, making her the first batter to reach the milestone.

Dulani, however, was run out in unfortunate circumstances as Athapaththu drove a full delivery straight back at the bowler, whose attempted fielding effort deflected the ball onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end, catching Dulani short of her ground. But Athapaththu made sure there were no further hiccups, smashing two fours and a six in the next nine balls to help Sri Lanka coast to a win.