Athapaththu’s century clinches historic series victory
Sri Lanka’s skipper Chamari Athapaththu led the team to a series win against New Zealand with her unbeaten score of 140. Sri Lanka has won their first-ever series against the White Ferns. New Zealand was in recovery mode when rain interrupted the game. Suzie Bates and captain Sophie Devine had a partnership of 74 runs, taking the visitors to a respectable 127/2 by the end of the 31st over when the rain ended their innings.
Sri Lanka didn’t have a good start, losing two wickets in the first four overs. However, Athapaththu’s second century of the series – this time off just 60 balls – helped her side win. Partnered with Nilakshi de Silva, Athapaththu smashed 9 sixes and 13 fours in her 80-ball century, leading to a series-clinching 190-run unbroken stand. She was awarded both the Player of the Match and Series awards.
Athapaththu’s unbeaten 140 came off just 134 balls, and she hit 13 fours and nine sixes. She also became the first Sri Lankan woman to score 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year. The 31-year-old has been in outstanding form this year, scoring 1,029 runs in 20 innings at an average of 64.31.
The Sri Lankan skipper’s performance was a reflection of her team’s dominance throughout the series. The hosts had won the first two matches by a margin of 7 and 4 wickets, respectively. The third match was abandoned due to rain. The Sri Lankan team was impressive in all departments, with their bowlers keeping the New Zealand batters in check and their batsmen putting up solid performances.
The series win will be a huge confidence booster for the Sri Lankan team, which has struggled in recent times. The team had lost all their matches in the Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year. The win against New Zealand will help the team build momentum going into their next series.
On the flip side, New Zealand will be disappointed with their display. The team was without their regular captain, Amy Satterthwaite, who is on maternity leave. The White Ferns will need to regroup and come back stronger in their next series.
Overall, it was a memorable series for Sri Lanka, and Athapaththu’s outstanding performance will be remembered for a long.
