Sri Lanka Women’s Under-19 team continued their winning run with a commanding nine-wicket victory over Pakistan in the sixth match of the Tri-Nation series at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad yesterday.
It was Sri Lanka’s third consecutive victory, with opener Sanjana Kavindi once again leading from the front. The 17-year-old left-hander struck a brisk 61 off 46 balls as Sri Lanka chased down Pakistan’s total of 110 for eight, reaching 111 for one in just 15.2 overs.
Kavindi continued her impressive form after an unbeaten 90 against Bangladesh, hitting eight fours and a six in another assured innings. She shared an unbroken opening stand of 108 runs with Vimoksha Balasooriya, who contributed an unbeaten 43 off 46 deliveries.
The two left-handed openers dominated the run chase, giving Pakistan’s bowlers little chance to fight back.
The partnership put Sri Lanka firmly in control of the chase, with Pakistan’s bowlers struggling to make an impact. Kavindi was eventually dismissed in the 15th over by Mahnoor Zeb, who took the hosts’ only wicket.
Earlier, Pakistan opted to bat and posted 110 for eight in their allotted 20 overs. Opener Komal Khan top-scored with 54 off 59 balls, including seven fours, while Ravail Farhan made 26 off 26 deliveries with four boundaries. The pair put on 57 runs for the first wicket, giving Pakistan a steady start.
However, after reaching 50 without loss at the halfway stage, Pakistan struggled to maintain their momentum and lost eight wickets for a further 60 runs. Sri Lanka’s fielders played a key role to restrict the hosts to a modest total.
Chamodhi Herath, Nethmi Upeksha and Danodya Sewmini took one wicket each, while Sri Lanka’s sharp fielding produced five run-outs.
Kavindi was named Player of the Match for the third consecutive game. Her recent scores of 48, an unbeaten 90 and 61 underline her consistency and make her one of the standout batters of the tournament.
Sri Lanka made one change to their side, bringing in Umayangana Peiris in place of Manudi Nanayakkara.
The victory keeps Sri Lanka at the top of the points table with six points, followed by Bangladesh on four and Pakistan on two.
Pakistan will face Bangladesh in the tournament’s seventh fixture on Sunday (11), before Sri Lanka meet Pakistan again on Monday (12), with both matches scheduled at the same venue.
Chief scores
Sri Lanka Women’s U19 beat Pakistan Women’s U19 by nine wickets with 28 balls to spare .
Pakistan womens U 19 110 for 8 wickets in 20 overs Komal Khan 54, Ravail Farhan 26, Sahar Bano 14, Chamodhi Herath 1/10, Nethmi Upeksha 1/19, Danodya Sewmini 1/14
Sri Lanka womens U 19 111 for 1 wicket in 15.2 overs Sanjana Kavindi 61, Vimoksha Balasooriya 43 * , Mahnoor Zeb 1/18
Player of the match – Sanjana Kavindi (Sri Lanka)
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