Host South Africa lost in the first match of T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka defeated
Cape Town. Captain Chamari Atapattu’s brilliant batting helped Sri Lanka register a thrilling three-run win over hosts South Africa in the first match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Atapattu led from the front with a 50-ball 68 studded with 12 fours, the highest score by a batsman for Sri Lanka in the Women’s World Cup. South Africa were set a target of 130 to win but the Sri Lankan spinners restricted them to 126 for nine. This is Sri Lanka’s first win over South Africa in T20 cricket since 2016. Sri Lanka got off to a slow start and conceded just four runs in the first three overs but Atapattu took the pressure off Nokululeko Emalaba by hitting successive fours.
Opener Harshita Samarawickrama was trapped by Nadine de Klerk at midwicket. From the other end, Atapattu hit the same bowler for five fours in nine balls. Seventeen-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne took time to settle but she supported the captain well, scoring 35 runs in 34 balls. The duo added 86 runs for the second wicket, which is Sri Lanka’s highest partnership for any wicket in the T20 World Cup. The wickets of both, however, kept Sri Lanka’s run-rate in check as they fell in successive balls. Shabnam Ismail dismissed Nilakshi de Silva in the 19th over while Marianne Kapp conceded just five runs in the last over.
In response, South Africa got off to a good start. Opener Tajmin Brits was hit on the helmet by the fifth ball after which she had to undergo a concussion test twice. Off-spinner Oshadi Ranasinghe applied the pressure in the penultimate over of the powerplay with four dot balls and also took the wicket of Brits. Kaap also fell victim to Inoka Ranveera in the eighth over after scoring 11 runs. Ranveera also sent Laura Wolvaardt (18) to the pavilion. Half of South Africa’s team was in the pavilion at a score of 72. South Africa fell short by three runs in the last minute when Sinalo Jafta and Ismail were run out.
