Sri Lanka Women beat Pakistan by four wickets in the second semi-final of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday, reaching the final for the second tournament in a row. The defending champions will meet India in Sunday’s final.
Sri Lanka chose to bowl and had Pakistan in trouble at 52 for four, with captain Chamari Athapaththu — the tournament’s leading wicket-taker — taking 2 for 24 and Chamudi Praboda 2 for 25. Pakistan captain Fatima Sana then rebuilt the innings, finishing unbeaten on 47 off 36 balls as 78 runs came from the final 10 overs. Gull Feroza made 21 from 32 deliveries and Tuba Hasan 12 off 10, lifting Pakistan to 130 for five.
The chase began badly. Sri Lanka slipped to five for two and then 33 for four inside the first 10 overs, with Sana removing two of the top three, Athapaththu among them.
Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari then put on 67 runs from 59 balls to turn the match, scoring 36 off 31 and 33 off 33 respectively. According to ESPNcricinfo, the pair changed their approach on instructions from coach Jamie Siddons during the drinks break, targeting boundaries behind square when nothing was available in front of the wicket.
Sana returned to dismiss both in the same over and ended with 4 for 38, but Sri Lanka’s lower order held. Nilakshika Silva and Kaushini Nuthyangana — who struck the first six of her international career — finished the chase at 134 for six in 18.4 overs, with eight balls to spare. Sana was named player of the match despite the defeat.
Sri Lanka topped Group B with three wins from three, having beaten Bangladesh by four wickets to qualify. India, who won Group A with an identical record, came through the first semi-final against Bangladesh.
