A dazzling 178 not out against defending champion Australia has overshadowed several fine performances and the left-hander believes she showed glimpses of her two batting heroes – Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya, during the knock.

“I started like Sanga and ended like Sanath,” a beaming Atapattu said of her 143-ball knock in which she hit 22 fours and six sixes to help set a challenging 258-run target for Australia.

Atapattu has been around for long and even considered as Sri Lanka’s batting mainstay by many, but to see her come out with such gusto against the world’s top side was a big surprise.

Hailing from Gokarella in central Sri Lanka, Atapattu had to take over captaincy at the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2016 after Shashikala Siriwardene was ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury. That was a learning curve for the former captain as she learned to cope with pressure.

The 27-year-old, who has scored 1906 runs in 61 ODIs and 1001 runs in 58 T20Is, is delighted with how things have panned out and elated at her latest effort.

“I am really happy with my performance. For the first 25-30 overs, I tried to go for singles and the odd boundary. After 35 overs, when the Power Play started, I tried to hit the ball over the ropes,” she said, giving credit to coaches Hemantha Devapriya and Jeevanta Kulatunga for her development as a batter.

Atapattu made her international debut against India during the ICC World Twenty20 2009 in Taunton, not far from where she caught the attention of the entire cricketing world on Thursday with the second-highest score in all World Cup matches.

After top-scoring with 53 in her team’s tournament opener against New Zealand, Atapattu produced the scintillating knock that will be remembered for long despite her team losing to Australia by eight wickets. “I love coming back to England,” she said. “I love the conditions here and we have played a game here before so I knew what the conditions would be like.”

Her 178 not out will go alongside her centuries against Ireland and South Africa but Atapattu rates the stunning knock in Bristol as her finest accomplishment to date.

“This is my best achievement. Australia has experienced bowlers like Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt, who also play in leagues and county matches. I trusted myself and played to my potential.”

Atapattu was encouraged by her father and inspired by cricketing icons Jayasuriya and Sangakkara, who was quick to laud her on twitter after the Bristol knock.

Atapattu though has dedicated her latest knock to her cricket-crazy father, who passed 10 years ago with a cardiac arrest when she was only 17.

“He is the hero in my life. He helped me a lot in my career. He loved cricket. He always pushed me to go and play, supported me in all aspects.

“I liked cricket, but was very lazy. He pushed me to pursue a career in the game.”

Her mother, who retired as a nurse following her father’s death, encouraged the batter to continue playing despite the bereavement. Just two years on, Atapattu would make her international debut.

Atapattu, who likes to travel and mountaineering in her spare time, started slowly in Bristol, ticking things along before exploding in the final 15 overs.

Already a big name in her home town, Atapattu wants to help women’s cricket grow in Sri Lanka.

“A lot of girls are now playing cricket in my town, a few youngsters have come to the national level. We need more girls to play to help improve our cricket. In the next year we will see two or three players come through to play in the national team.”

An admirer of Sanath Jayasuriya’s attacking style of play, Chamari Atapattu is an integral part of the Sri Lankan team. Helped by Kumar Sangakkara’s advice to pace her innings, she has been both an aggressor and accumulator in the batting line-up.

She first burst onto the scene with a century against Ireland Women in 2011, but the biggest impact knock of her career remains her 62 in a one-wicket win over England Women in the 2013 World Cup in Mumbai. In the nine ODI wins she has been a part of, she has made four half-centuries, signifying her importance in the side. She is also the only Sri Lankan to score two ODI centuries. She fell one short of scoring her third ton, against Pakistan Women in January 2015.

Atapattu lost her father soon after being selected to the national team for the first time, but has used the setback as an inspiration to keep her career moving. Outside of cricket, Atapattu works for a bank in Colombo.

The other women cricketers to watch are Deepti Sharma (India), Precious Marange (Zimbabwe), Kim Garth (Ireland), Sornnarin Tippoch (Thailand), Sune Luus (South Africa), Anam Amin (Pakistan), Rumana Ahmed (Bangladesh), Kathryn Bryce (Scotland) and Ravini Oa (PNG).

The tournament which starts on February 7 in Colombo is the first to be held in Sri Lanka. Ten countries including Sri Lanka are taking part with the first four countries qualifying for the women’s world cup to be held in England in June 2017.

A few players who excelled in the recently concluded series against Australia have been included in the squad. All rounder Ama Kanchana, medium Pacer Oshadi Ranasinghe and senior opening batsman Yasodha Mendis have been left out of the squad. They have been replaced by off spinners Malsha Yahani, Inushi Fernando and middle order bat Harshika Madhavi.

Former skipper Sashikala Siriwardena who was injured has not been included in the squad as she is still recovering. The selection committee has decided to include only two pacewomen Udeshika Prabodani and Sripali Weerakkody.

The Sri Lanka Women’s squad – Inoka Ranaweera Captain, Chamari Atapattu , Hashini Perera, Ishani Lokusuriya, Udeshika Prabodani, Sripali Weerakkody, Malsha Yahani, Inushi Fernando, Harshika Madavi, Sugandhika Kumari, Dilani Manodara, Chamari Polgampola, Prasadhini Weerakkody and Nipuni Hansika.

Bolton had stitched together partnerships of 48 and 72 with Elyse Vilani and captain Meg Lanning respectively. Vilani chipped in with 22 off 31, including two fours and a six before she was trapped lbw by medium-pacer Chamari Atapattu.

Lanning ensured the innings didn’t lose momentum with a brisk 43 off 44 balls, before she too was dismissed by Atapattu. Bolton and Perry then capitalised on 23.4 wicketless overs. Bolton was dismissed with four deliveries remaining in the innings, and had cracked eight fours and a six.

Sri Lanka used seven bowlers but apart from Atapattu, only one of them – Ama Kanchana, the right-arm pacer – was among the wickets. Kanchana accounted for Bolton, but leaked 52 runs in eight overs.

In the chase, Sri Lanka were shot out for 131 in 45.5 overs, primarily through the efforts of legspinner Kirsten Beams, and right-arm pacers Rene and Holly Ferling, who shared the wickets to secure a 137-run win.

Only three Sri Lanka batsmen registered double figures. Hasini Perera was caught early off Ferling for 2 at the end of the third over. Wicketkepper Prasadani Weerakkody and captain Atapattu rebuilt with a 63-run second-wicket stand. Beams broke the partnership by trapping Atapattu in front, before she dismissed Weerakkody a few overs later. When Weerakkody fell for 33, the highest score of the innings, Sri Lanka were 87 for 3. Thereafter, only Chamari Polgampola got to double figures, consuming 60 deliveries for her 19.

Beams returned 4 for 26, while Ferling, who opened the bowling, took 3 for 30 in 7.5 overs. Farrell finished with career-best figures of 3 for 17 in eight overs.

Australia chased the target in 15.4 overs, before the scheduled innings break, but stuttered towards the end, losing five wickets for 30 runs. Australia took a 1-0 lead in the four-match ODI series.

Having opted to bat, Sri Lanka lost two wickets off successive deliveries in the second over bowled by Megan Schutt. Fast bowler Holly Ferling had captain Chamari Atapattu caught in the next over, before picking up two more in the fifth over. Sri Lanka, by then, had slumped to 3 for 5.

Legspinner Kristen Beams wrecked Sri Lanka’s middle order, taking the next three wickets to fall to leave the hosts tottering at 38 for 8 and in danger of posting their lowest ODI score (57). That ignominy was averted by No. 9 Inoka Ranaweera’s career-best score of 32 not out. She struck five fours in her 43-ball knock. Offspinner Erin Osborne claimed the last two wickets.

Before the series, Sri Lanka Women coach Lanka de Silva had said he was banking on their left-arm spinners Ranaweera and Sugandika Kumari against Australia’s predominantly right-handed batting line-up.

After one over from Eshani Lokusuriyage, in which she had Ellyse Villani lbw off the first ball, Sri Lanka turned to their spinners.

Captain Meg Lanning and Nicole Bolton added a 45-run second-wicket stand off just 44 balls to all but seal Australia’s chase. Ranaweera brought the hosts back into the match with three wickets in the space of six balls, but Australia cantered to the target with four wickets in hand and 206 balls to spare. Wicketkeeper Prasadani Weerakkody effected five of the six dismissals.

Only some lower-order resistance from Inoka Ranaweera helped save the hosts from complete embarrassment on their way to what seemed to be a meagre total after winning the toss and electing to bat.

However, Australia suffered a mini-collapse of 4-5 during the run chase to send a scare through the touring camp.

Earlier in the morning, six Sri Lankan batters failed to score as the Australian attack ran rampant in glorious overhead conditions for the first of four ODIs on the tour.

Speedster Megan Schutt started the destruction with two wickets in consecutive balls from her opening over of the morning, firstly via a sharp catch by Jess Jonassen at short cover to dismiss the dangerous Prasadani Weerakkody and then from an edge off the shoulder of Chamari Polgampola’s bat that landed safely in the hands of Alex Blackwell at gully.

Holly Ferling soon got in on the act once she settled into a rhythm to claim the big scalp of captain Chamari Atapattu, who was quickly joined back in the pavilion by Dilani Manodara and Nipuni Hansika with the hosts in shambles at 5-3 in the sixth over.

The introduction of leg-spinner Kristen Beams in the 10th over offered Sri Lanka no reprieve as her flight and turn not only kept the scoreboard stagnant, but also presented regular wicket-taking opportunities.

Imalka Mendis eventually lost her patience when she skied a Beams delivery to the awaiting Meg Lanning at cover to end a 28-ball stay that produced just a solitary run.

Beams picked up two more wickets when (4) and Eshani Lokusooriya (14) were both deceived by flight to leave the hosts at 8-38 and in serious danger of recording their lowest total in ODI history – the previous mark being 57 against Australia in 2005.

Ranaweera found enough support from her fellow tail-enders to finish unbeaten on 32, while the only concern from an Australian point of view would be the fact ‘Extras’ was the next top-scorer in the innings with 16 as the visitors occasionally lost their radar.

Ferling (3-4) and Schutt (2-5) were sensational with the new ball, while Osborne chipped in with 2-24 and Beams impressed in an eight-over spell that produced 3-16 featuring three maidens.

Following a brief break between innings, Western Australia duo Nicole Bolton and Elyse Villani opened up for what was seemingly going to be a straight-forward run chase.

But it soon became clear that the assignment would be tougher than first thought when Villani was trapped in front for a golden duck from Lokusooriya’s first delivery.

Captain Meg Lanning rode her luck after a pair of dropped chances behind the wicket to start finding the boundary with the dominant driving and horizontal bat shots that are a feature of her game.

A sharp catch by ‘keeper Weerakkody ended the skipper’s knock on 27 and sparked the Australian collapse.

Ellyse Perry was stumped looking to use her feet to the spin of Ranaweera, while Alex Blackwell fell to Inoshi Fernando for the eighth duck of the match.

Weerakkkody continued her fine day with the gloves to whip off the bails and find Bolton short of her crease for 19 to leave the tourists on somewhat shaky ground at 5-50.

Alyssa Healy (12no) and Jonassen helped steady things with a 25-run stand, until Weerakkody grabbed her fifth dismissal behind the stumps to send Jonassen on her way for 12 with victory in sight.

Osborne flicked an Ataputta delivery off her pads to find the boundary and seal victory with a whopping 34.2 overs to spare.

The two sides return to the same Dambulla venue on Tuesday for the first of three ICC ODI Championship matches, with Australia looking to cement their place at the top of the table.

Squads

Australia: Meg Lanning (captain), Alex Blackwell (vice-captain), Kristen Beams, Nicole Bolton, Rene Farrell, Holly Ferling, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani.

Sri Lanka: Chamari Atapattu (c), Prasadini Weerakkody (vc), Dilani Manodara, Nipuni Hansika, Chamari Polgampola, Eshani Lokusuriyage, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasooriya, Inoshi Fernando, Imalka Mendis, Ama Kanchana, Harshitha Madhavi.

Fixtures

First ODI: Rangiri Dambulla Stadium, 18 September at 2:20pm AEST
Second ODI*: Rangiri Dambulla Stadium, 20 September at 2:20pm AEST
Third ODI*: R. Premadasa Stadium, 23 September at 2:20pm AEST
Fourth ODI*: R. Premadasa Stadium, 25 September at 2:20pm AEST
T20: SSC Ground, 27 September at 6:30pm AEST

“We go out there to win every game we play in, and this series is no different. We’ve been in pretty good form in one-day cricket, so we’re looking forward to testing ourselves in different conditions against a good team,” the top-ranked ODI batter said of the series in Dambulla on September 18, 20 and 23.

World champion Australia leads the ICC Women’s Championship Table with 24 points from 15 matches after five of the seven rounds that will determine which four teams gain automatic qualification for the ICC Women’s World Cup in England and Wales from 26 June to 23 July.

The ICC Women’s World Twenty20 champion West Indies is second on the table with 20 points while England is third with 19 points. New Zealand (16), South Africa (15), India (13), Pakistan (eight) and Sri Lanka (five) follow in that order in the eight-team competition.

The bottom four sides will get a second chance to qualify through the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2017 in which they will be joined by six regional qualifiers. Four teams from the Qualifier will advance to the main tournament.

While the three ODI matches will count towards qualification for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, another ODI and a Twenty20 International to follow during the tour are not part of the championship but will count in the ICC team and individual rankings.

Though Australia starts favorite in its first bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka, Lanning feels her team has to be wary of the conditions.

“It’s going to be a challenge in different conditions with a fair bit of spin and slowness in the wickets, so it’ll be a good test for us but we’re all looking forward to it. Sri Lanka’s batting and bowling attacks are different to a lot of teams we play against, probably a little bit slower and (with) a lot of spinners, so that’s going to be a good test. Their batters probably hit to different areas as well so it will be a different challenge but a good one for our group to take on,” Lanning said.

Australia has won its three previous ODI matches against Sri Lanka, all in ICC Women’s World Cups, by huge margins. Australia notched a 200-run victory in Christchurch in 2000, won by eight wickets in Pretoria in 2005, and by nine wickets in Mumbai in 2013.

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Atapattu understands that Australia is a top side but feels a lot will depend on how the visiting team adapts to the conditions.

“This series is very important and a historical event for us because we are playing the best team in the ICC rankings. This is also the first time we are playing Australia at home and believe that playing on home soil will be the biggest advantage for us,” Atapattu said.

The left-hand batter says she knows Australia has several big names in the squad but is pinning her hopes on the likes of left-arm pace bowler Udeshika Prabodhani, all-rounder Eshani Lokusuriyage and left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera to pull off something spectacular.

“They do have world-class individuals like Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry and Alex Blackwell, and they could pose a big challenge if they play to potential and get used to the conditions quickly. But we will try our best to finish the table with a few more wins and points after this series. We will try to change history by winning for the first time against Australia,” Atapattu said.

Lanning, who is on a career-best rating of 834 points, will be looking to consolidate her position at the top of the batters’ rankings while Perry (fourth) and Blackwell (sixth) will also be looking at the series as an opportunity to rise in the ICC ODI Women’s Player rankings.

For Sri Lanka, captain Atapattu is its top-ranked player at 18th position with Prasadani Weerakkody (30th) and Eshani Lokusooriya (32nd) the other leading batters in the side.

The squads:

Sri Lanka: Chamari Atapattu (captain), Sugandi Dasanayaka, Inoshi Fernando, Nipuni Hansika, Ama Kanchana, Achini Kulasooriya, Eshani Lokusooriya, Harshitha Madhavi, Dilani Manodara, Imalka Mendis, Chamari Polgampala, Udeshika Prabhodani, Inoka Ranaweera, Prasadani Weerakkody.

Australia: Meg Lanning (captain), Alex Blackwell, Kristen Beams, Nicole Bolton, Rene Farrell, Holly Ferling, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani.

Sri Lanka, which managed just 114 for seven after electing to bat, fought back to restrict the favoured South Africans for 104 at the Chinnaswamy stadium.

Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Atapattu led from the front with 52, but none of the other team-mates managed to cross 20 as Marizanne Kapp and Sune Luus picked up two wickets each.

South Africa’s openers Dane van Niekerk and Trisha Chetty replied with 50 for no loss by the ninth over before the rest of the batting collapsed against the steady Sri Lankan bowling.

Atapattu had a hand in two of the first three dismissals which reduced South Africa to 52 for three, running out Van Niekerk for 24 before claiming rival skipper Mignon du Pleez leg-before for no score.

At the other end, Eshani Lokusuriyage trapped Chetty leg-before for 26 to open up the middle order.

Sugandika Kumari claimed two for 24 and Udeshika Prabodhani took two for 13 as the rest of the batting floundered to hand the Sri Lankan women their second win in four league matches. Atapattu, who was named player of the match, said she was delighted her team was able to finish the tournament on a high.

“I am proud of my girls,” she said, dedicating the award to her father who encouraged her to play cricket.

“We were not able to put up a good total, but the bowlers and fielders did well. I knew our bowlers had the potential to restrict South Africa.

“We may not be in the semi-finals but this tournament has taught us a lot of positive things which will help us in future.”

Sri Lanka Women 114-7 in 20 overs (Chamari Atapattu 52, Prasadani Weerakkody 15, Eshani Kaushalya 12 n.o., Marizanne Kapp 2/17, Sune Luus 2/20)

South Africa Women 104-7 in 20 overs (Dane van Niekerk 24, Trisha Chetty 26, Sugandika Kumari 2/24, Udeshika Prabodhani 2/13)