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Athapaththu upstages Wolvaardt as Sri Lanka level ODI series against Proteas

cricket17 April 2024 19:00
By:Ross Roche
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Sri Lankan women skipper Chamari Athapaththu upstaged Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt in an incredible match built on two innings, as records tumbled with the visitors securing a six wicket series levelling win at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Wednesday night.

Batting first Wolvaardt scored the highest ever individual score by a South African woman, thrashing 24 fours and four sixes in her unbeaten 184 off 147 balls to lead her side to a mammoth 301/5 in their 50 overs.

However Athapaththu was even better, hammering 26 fours and five sixes in her unbeaten 195 off just 139 balls, as she broke her own Sri Lankan individual highest score record, while their chase was the highest ever in all of women’s ODI cricket, with it the first time that a score of over 300 had ever been chased down.

Athupaththu also now holds the third highest individual score in women’s ODIs, with only New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr (232*) and Australia’s Belinda Clark (229*) ahead of her, while Wolvaardt is fifth on the list behind India’s Deepti Sharma (188) in fourth.

Wolvaardt did pick up the player-of-the-series award, thanks to her unbeaten 110 in the second ODI leading the Proteas to a seven-wicket win in Kimberley, while the first ODI in East London was rained out.

“It was obviously a tough second half to that game. We thought with 300 on the board that we were fully in the game. But it is a nice wicket to chase on and all credit must go to Sri Lanka and Chamari, I thought she batted excellently and there was no stopping her today,” said Wolvaardt.

“We could look back on a lot of small moments in the game (that cost us). There were probably a few moments in our innings that could have pushed us up to 350.

“It’s 300 balls (in an innings), so it’s a long time. We probably could have kept her (Athapaththu) quieter a bit better throughout the innings, built up some pressure and maybe created a few more chances.”

ODI CENTURION KHAKA STRIKES TWICE IN ONE OVER

In the match the Sri Lankan innings got off to a great start as Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne (26) shared in a 90-run opening stand, before the Proteas fought back with a cluster of wickets.

Delmi Tucker made the breakthrough trapping Gunaratne LBW, while new batter Prasadani Weerakkody (4) was caught by a diving Tucker off Nadine de Klerk as they slipped to 109/2 in the 19th over.

Proteas ODI centurion Ayabonga Khaka then stepped up to take centre stage as she picked up two wickets in an over, having Hansima Karunaratne (3) caught by keeper Sinalo Jafta flashing at a wide ball on the offside, and then Kaveesha Dilhari for a second ball duck by Jafta down the leg side as they slipped to 126/4.

However, that was as good as it got for the Proteas as Athapaththu and Nilakshi Silva (50*) combined for a match-winning unbeaten 179-run fifth- wicket partnership to stunning take their side to a scarcely believable win with 33 balls to spare.

CAREER BEST FOR SA CAPTAIN

At the start of play Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl, with the Proteas innings getting off to a great start thanks to Wolvaardt and fellow opener Lara Goodall (31) sharing 116 for the first wicket.

In the 11th over Wolvaardt took aim at Kawya Kavindi, hammering back-to-back boundaries and a six, before punching a glorious forward drive back down the ground to bring up a scintillating half century off just 35 balls.

She still managed to crack another boundary in the over as 24 runs came off it, and she effectively hit Kavindi out of the attack as she didn’t bowl again over the rest of the innings.

The Proteas passed the 100-run mark in the 18th over, as Goodall struck a sweet reverse sweep for four to get them there, but a flurry of wickets then stalled their charge.

Goodall was first to fall, popping Dilhari straight to Imesha Dulani at mid-on in the 22nd over, while in the 24th over Wolvaardt ran out Tucker (1) going for a suicidal quick single, and Sune Luus was pinned dead in front LBW for a first-ball duck by Athapaththu as the Proteas slipped to 124/3.

Wolvaardt then shared in two big partnerships, of 63 with Marizanne Kapp, 36 off 34 (5x4, 1x6), and 92 with Nadine de Klerk (35) which allowed her to power to her century and on to her career best, while also taking the Proteas over 300.

PROTEAS: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Lara Goodall, Delmi Tucker, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Nadine de Klerk, Eliz-mari Marx, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka

SRI LANKA: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshi Silva, Kaveesha Dilhari, Prasadani Weerakkody (wk), Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Kumari, Imesha Dulani, Kawya Kavindi, Hansima Karunaratne

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