Spinners, Fatima Sana help Pakistan down drowsy Sri Lanka

Spinners, Fatima Sana help Pakistan down drowsy Sri Lanka

Fatima Sana played a helpful cameo down the request before Pakistan's spinners secured Sri Lanka on a sluggish ish wicket in Sharjah to finish a resounding 31-run victory in the first T20 World Cup face off between these two teams in 10 years. Pakistan, who picked to bat first, were bowled out for 116 however effectively managed to keep Sri Lanka at bay, with the Asia Cup champions struggling and failing to find any energy with the bat once Chamari Athapaththu fell early in the chase.

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There may have been questions about Fatima Sana's decision to bat yet the Pakistan captain stood vindicated with Sharjah seeing next to zero dew in the second innings, thereby allowing her spinners to hold sway in spite of the deficiency of fast bowler Diana Baig to an apparent calf injury early in the target guard.

Incidentally, Athapaththu was happy to chase and had even set sights on restricting Pakistan to under 120. Her team came great on that count with a decent bowling performance before Sana played the defining thump of the game right at the end. Consistent with their new style, Pakistan made a respectable attempt while the fielding restrictions were in place however were constantly fixed back by wickets falling at regular intervals. Sugandika Kumari hit with the last ball of the second over thanks in large parts to a sharp catch behind the stumps by Anushka Sanjeewani to excuse Gull Feroza.

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Muneeba Ali swung left-arm medium-pacer Udeshika Prabodhani for a six preceding becoming the second batter to fall to Sugandika. This time too, it was Sanjeewani behind the stumps who held on to a tough catch after Muneeba got a major edge on an attempted slice to an arm ball from the left-arm spinner. Pakistan were three down for 32 inside the PowerPlay with Athapaththu completing a return catch after getting Sidra Amin to miscue an attempted trudge.

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Yet again nida Dar and Omaima Sohail put about putting the innings back together with a steady 25-run stand yet similarly as Pakistan could begin to harbor any expectations of pushing up the scoring rate they were fixed back. Kavisha Dilhari, who had been trudge cleared for six earlier in the over, bowled a floaty conveyance to Omaina, who wound up playing the range shot way too early and toe-edged a catch to square leg.

Prabodhani then got back to the attack and cleaned up Dar for 23 with a change-up around the wicket angle. In the following over, Athpaththu excused Tuba Hassan and Aliya Riaz off progressive balls in the fourteenth over, the previous to another phenomenal catch behind the stumps and the latter to a straightforward LBW decision.

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At 74 for 7, which soon became 84 for 8, Pakistan appeared to be probably not going to try and get to 100. However, captain Sana drove a fine rearguard with Nashra Sandhu for company. The ninth-wicket pair added 28 of which Sandhu contributed only 4 runs off 12 balls. Sana on the other hand struck three fours and a six and farmed strike masterfully before she succumbed to a 20-ball 30 to the first ball of the final over. Pakistan managed to add only four additional singles before they were bowled out off the last ball of the innings.

Pakistan lost Baig to an injury after only one ball of the second innings yet once again had their captain stepping up and making a mark. After bowling a pair of length balls, Sana sneaked through a more full conveyance and got her contrary number, Athapaththu, to chip a catch to extra cover. Omaima took over and dealt a twofold strike by cleaning up the in-structure Harshitha Samarawickrama and Hasini Perera to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 35 for 3. The second of those dismissals was an off-spinner's enjoyment. It floated into the left-handed Perera and then turned 4.7 degrees to spin past the bat and hit the top of off-stump.

Sandhu added two of her own wickets while Sadia Iqbal got three lower-request wickets as Sri Lanka's batters battled to find a way to compel the pace. In fact, Sri Lanka managed only three boundaries in their innings and none at all after the eighth over as the game diminished to a predictable and insipid finish.

Pakistan 116 in 20 overs (Fatima Sana 30; Chamari Athapaththu 3-18, Sugandika Kumari 3-19, Udeshika Prabodhani 3-20) beat Sri Lanka 85/9 in 20 overs (Sadia Iqbal 3-17, Fatima Sana 2-10, Nashra Sandhu 2-15) by 31 runs.