Sri Lanka Women secured a 25-run win over Bangladesh in the first WT20I at Sylhet on Tuesday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on the back of half-centuries from Harshitha Samarawickrama and Imesha Dulani.
Player of the Match Samarawickrama scored 61 off 35 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes), while Dulani made 55 off 40 balls (7 fours). The pair combined for an 80-run third-wicket partnership in nine overs that anchored Sri Lanka’s total of 161-4.
Put in to bat, Sri Lanka lost opener Hasini Perera early. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu and Dulani then steadied the innings with a 42-run second-wicket stand in 32 balls before Sultana Khatun trapped Athapaththu for 32. Samarawickrama lifted the tempo from there, hitting Khatun for six in the 14th over and Fariha Trisna for a boundary and a six off consecutive deliveries in the 18th. She fell on the final ball of the innings after collecting 12 runs from the last over.
Bangladesh’s openers Dilara Akter and Juairiya Ferdous raced to 39 in 21 balls before Athapaththu had Ferdous stumped. The hosts collapsed to 44-4 within 12 balls. A 39-run stand between Shorna Akter and Sobhana Mostary briefly steadied the chase before Athapaththu (2/19) had Mostary stumped for 16 in the 14th over. Shorna fought on alone, scoring 60 off 45 balls (4 fours, 2 sixes) before being run out off the final delivery as Bangladesh finished 136-7.
Khatun returned 2/29 for the hosts. Malki Madara and Mithali Ayodhya took two wickets each for Sri Lanka.
The second WT20I will be played at the same Sylhet venue on Thursday. The series comes shortly after Asanga Seneviratne was elected as Sri Lanka’s new NOC President, signalling a governance reset at the country’s Olympic body, and follows Rumesh Tharanga’s javelin gold at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi.
