Sri Lanka secured a narrow three-wicket win over Scotland in a Women’s T20 World Cup group-stage match at Old Trafford on Friday, keeping their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive. Scotland posted a competitive total of 151 for six in their 20 overs, powered by Sarah Bryce’s 47 off 33 balls and Darcey Carter’s 34 runs.
The Sri Lankan innings got off to a strong start as captain Chamari Athapaththu scored a rapid 33 runs from 16 deliveries, including six boundaries and a six. However, her dismissal by Katherine Fraser left Sri Lanka under pressure in the closing stages of the chase.
Contributions from Harshitha Samarawickrama, who scored 27, and Hasini Perera, who added 23, helped maintain Sri Lanka’s pursuit, but the team found themselves precariously placed at 118 for six wickets. It was Nilakshi de Silva’s unbeaten 21 that proved vital in steering the side toward victory.
The match went down to the final over, with Sri Lanka needing boundaries to clinch the result. Sugandika Dasanayaka struck a crucial boundary off the penultimate ball to secure the win and keep Sri Lanka’s tournament campaign alive.
With this victory, Sri Lanka moved up to third place in Group B, marking their third win in the competition. However, their progression to the semi-finals now depends on other results. They require a significant West Indies defeat to Ireland, as well as England overcoming New Zealand on Saturday, to advance on net run-rate.
