NISSHIN: Pakistan’s hopes of winning the Asian Games women’s cricket gold medal were dashed on Sunday as Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu’s blistering unbeaten 83 powered her side to an emphatic eightwicket victory in the semi-final at Korogi Sports Park.
Chasing 178, Sri Lanka raced to 178-2 in 17.5 overs, reaching the target with 13 balls to spare. Athapaththu hammered seven fours and six sixes in her 50-ballinnings, with Harshitha Samarawickrama unbeaten on 17.
Pakistan had appeared to post a competitive total of 177-4 after Ayesha Zafar struck 71 off 40 balls and Shawaal Zulfiqar made 54 off 50. But Sri Lanka’s chase quickly became one-sided as Athapaththu took the attack apart.
It was Pakistan’s second defeat by Sri Lanka in 10 days, having also lost to them in the semi-final of the Women’s Asia Cup.
Sri Lanka made a brisk start despite Pakistan opening with spin, reaching 19 without loss after two overs.
Momina Riasat then conceded two no-balls and a wide before Fatima Sana provided the breakthrough, bowling Imesha Dulani for 27 off 21.
Athapaththu initially played cautiously but then exploded, hitting Momina for six, four, six and four in the eighth over. She followed that with two fours and a six off Nashra Sandhu as Sri Lanka reached 70-1 after 10 overs.
Hasini Perera accelerated alongside her captain, making 42 off 26 balls before Nashra had her caught at cover.
Sri Lanka were 131-2 at that stage but needed only 47 from 36 balls.
Athapaththu then took 15 from Umm-e-Hani’s final over, including consecutive sixes, before surviving a dropped catch at long-off on 79. She struck a four in the same over and completed the chase with two balls remaining.
Earlier, Pakistan lost Gull Feroza to the second delivery of the innings, but Saira Jabeen and Shawaal stabilised the innings. Saira fell for 17 before Ayesha joined Shawaal in a 115-run partnership.
Ayesha reached her half-century from 27 balls, with nine fours and two sixes, before being run out for 71 in the 17th over. Shawaal followed after completing her fifty from 47 balls, while Fatima Sana’s unbeaten 20 off 12 lifted Pakistan to 177-4.
INDIA CRUSH BANGLADESH India also reached the final after crushing Bangladesh by 114 runs in the other semi-final.
Shafali Verma struck her maiden T20 international century, finishing unbeaten on 100 off 49 balls with three fours and nine sixes as India made 195-4. She reached three figures from the final ball of the innings.
Smriti Mandhana scored 37 off 19 and, in the process, became the highest run-scorer in women’s T20 internationals, moving to 4,788 runs from 171 innings and surpassing New Zealand’s Suzie Bates.
Bangladesh were bowled out for 81 in 15.4 overs.
India face Sri Lanka for gold on Tuesday, while Pakistan meet Bangladesh for the bronze medal.-Agencies