January 19, Colombo (LNW): In a stunning display of dominance, Sri Lanka secured a commanding 139-run victory over hosts Malaysia in their opening match of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia, playing their maiden game in the competition, were dismissed for a mere 23 runs in their chase, with Sri Lanka’s bowlers running riot to secure one of the most one-sided victories in recent memory.
Sri Lanka were put in to bat first, and they quickly set about building a competitive total, thanks to a blistering start from opener Sanjana Kavindi, who smashed 30 runs off just 13 balls.
Kavindi’s aggressive stroke play, along with a solid innings from No. 3 batter Dahami Sanethma (55 off 52), propelled Sri Lanka to 52 runs in the powerplay.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, including two in the 17th over, Sanethma remained composed and anchored the innings.
The lower order contributed valuable runs, with Hiruni Hansika adding 28 off 21 balls and Shashini Gimhani supporting with 13 off 7 balls, pushing Sri Lanka’s total to a formidable 162/6 by the end of their 20 overs.
In reply, Malaysia’s chase was derailed almost immediately, as Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Chamodi Praboda made an early breakthrough, taking two wickets in her second over to leave Malaysia reeling at 2 for 3.
The collapse continued unabated, with Malaysia tumbling to 14 for 5 and then 20 for 7.
Two wickets each from Manudi Nanayakkara and Limansa Thilakarathna further compounded Malaysia’s misery, while Praboda’s devastating spell of 4 overs, 2 runs, and 3 wickets (4-2-5-3) dismantled the host nation’s batting lineup.
Malaysia’s batting woes were evident as no player reached double figures, and six of their batters were dismissed for ducks, leaving them with a total of just 23 runs in response to Sri Lanka’s 162/6.
