Sri Lanka Women’ stormed to their second successive win dousing Bangladesh Women by 7 wickets chasing 127 on a brilliant batting performance by 24-year old opening batter Harshitha Madavi Samarawickrama who scored a brilliant unbeaten 69 off exactly 50 balls in a Group 1 day night match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 at Newlands, Cape Town.

Sri Lanka Women overcame an early scare of losing 3 wickets for 25 off 5.2 overs with Bangladesh grabbing the prize wicket of skipper Chamari Athapaththu for 15, to sweeping to 129 for 3 off 18 2 overs. The left-handed Samarawickrama found an able ally in Nilakshi de Silva who was equally game to the challenge scoring 41 off 38 in fronting an unfinished 104 runs for the fourth wicket off 78 balls.

Samarawickrama cut lose in a second stage assault of the halfway mark after a subdued start when she scored just 9 in the power play and launched into two over the top and a boundary in the 16th over.

Bangladesh Women, batting first, made 126 for 8 with Oshadi Ranasinghe claiming 3 for 18, Chamari Athapaththu 2 for 19 and Inoka Ranaweera 1 for 18.

CHIEF SCORES:

Bangladesh Women 126/8 (20 Overs) (Sobhana Mostary 29, Nigar Sultana 28, Shamima Sultana 20. Lata Mondal 11, Oshadi Ranasinghe 3/23, Chamari Athapaththu 2/19, Inoka Ranaweera 1/18)

Sri Lanka Women 129/3 (18.2 Overs) (Harshitha Madavi Samarawickrama n.o. 69, Nilakshi de Silva n.o. 41, Chamari Athapaththuu 15, Maruta Akter 3/23)