An unbeaten 40-ball 50 from Dilani Manodara powered Sri Lanka women to 151, and sent the team on their way towards an eight-run victory against Pakistan women in Sharjah. Sri Lanka women, opting to bat, lost two wickets inside six overs, but Chamari Atapattu’s 31 off 23 balls gave the team a blazing start. After Chamari fell, Manodara and Eshani Lokusuriyage took center stage, combining for a fifth-wicket association which yielded 47 runs from 39 balls. Sania Khan was the pick of Pakistan women’s bowlers, collecting 2 for 27.
Pakistan women began the chase on the front foot, as Marina Iqbal and Javeria Khan (40) put up an opening stand of 52 inside seven overs. Bismah Maroof built on that start, muscling a 45-ball 50 with five fours, but the team’s lower and middle order failed to contribute, scoring just 13 runs between them. Four run-outs did not help Pakistan women’s cause either, leaving Maroof to do too much all on her own. It left Pakistan women needing 18 off the final over, but could hit Eshani for just nine runs.
