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).

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.

“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)