Hasini Perera, bowlers propel Sri Lanka to big win

Hasini Perera led from the front as Sri Lanka brushed aside hosts Thailand by 75-run margin to pick up their second win in the 2016 ACC Women’s Asia Cup T20 at the AIT Cricket Ground on the outskirts of Bangkok.

Electing to field in the afternoon game of the Wednesday double-header, the visitors posted a strong 120 for 6 from their allotted overs with Perera playing a captain’s knock. Bowlers then backed up with disciplined line and lengths to restrict the home side to 45 for 9 from their quota.

Opening the batting in the absence of Yasoda Mendis, Perera struck a 59-ball 55 to top score for her side. Giving her company at the other end was former captain Chamari Atapattu, who struck a 36-ball 33 during the course of her 77-run opening stand with the captain. Perera did the bulk of the scoring in Sri Lanka’s best opening partnership of the competition thus far.

The standout feature of the captain’s innings was the ease with which she rotated the strike. The duo capitalised on Thailand’s inexperience to convert the singles into twos that only mounted more pressure on the fielders. Atapattu, for the second time in the competition, failed to convert her solid start into a big score as she edged to Sirintra Saengsakaorat on 31.

Perera carried on with Eshani Lokusuriyage for company. In her 24-run partnership with the senior all-rounder, Perera brought up her maiden fifty of the competition and also Sri Lanka’s 100 in the 17th over.

However, once she fell, the visitors lost wickets in heap in the death overs to post 120 for 6. That, however, proved more than sufficient for the home side.

Thailand’s reply was more or less on the expected lines. The pressure of a tall target took its toll on the home side that crawled their way to a mere 45 to lose their third game on the trot. Udeshika Prabodhani (3 for 8) and Inoka Ranaweera (3 for 4) starred with the ball, picking up three wickets apiece.

The wicket fest started as early as the first over when left-arm medium-pacer Udeshika Prabodhani opened her account with twin wickets to leave them reeling at 10 for 3 at the end of their powerplay. At the halfway mark, the hosts had added only 10 more to their total and lost another two of the middle-order batters, following which it became clear that the minnows were just looking to bat out their 20-over quota for a morale boost.

Ranaweera then came into action soon after to put an end to Thailand captain Sornnarin Tippoch’s patience and then added two more to her tally in the 15th over to dent them further. Chanida Sutthiruang hammered a quick 12 off 10 deliveries but it was too late in the day for the home side.

Sri Lanka take on India next, in the afternoon game on Thursday, which will most likely decide the finalist line-up at the sixth edition of Asia Cup.

Scores: Sri Lanka 120/6 in 20 overs (Hasini Perera 55, Chamari Atapattu 31; Sainammin Saenya 3/26)

Thailand 45/9 from 20 overs (Chanida Sutthiruang 12; Inoka Ranaweera 3/4, Udeshika Prabodhani 3/8).