Sri Lanka’s women have reached the gold medal match of the Asian Games, beating Pakistan by eight wickets in the first semi-final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Sunday.

Captain Chamari Athapaththu finished unbeaten on 83 from 50 balls, with seven fours and six sixes, in a chase Sri Lanka completed with 13 balls to spare.

Both teams set a record in the same match

Pakistan, sent in, made 177 for 4 — their highest-ever T20I total against Sri Lanka, ESPNcricinfo reported. It was not enough.

Sri Lanka’s reply equalled their highest total in a successful chase in women’s T20 internationals. ThePapare describes it as their highest successful run-chase; ESPNcricinfo says they equalled the mark. The more precise wording is ESPNcricinfo’s.

A dropped catch on the rope decided it

Athapaththu began slowly, and could afford to. Opening partner Imesha Dulani hit five fours in the first four overs before falling for a 21-ball 27. At that point Athapaththu had 4 off 9. By the end of the powerplay she had moved to 7 off 12 without a boundary.

The innings turned in a 20-run eighth over off Momina Riasat, which Athapaththu took for 6, 4, 6, 4. The second of those sixes was fortunate: Fatima Sana caught it at deep midwicket, then stepped on the rope while tossing the ball back into play. A clean catch would have ended Athapaththu’s innings on 18 off 19 balls.

She then took two fours and a six off left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu in the 10th over, cutting the requirement to 90 off 60.

Hasini Perera, at No. 3, matched her — hitting Tuba Hassan for two sixes and a four in the 13th over. Perera fell at the end of the 14th for a 26-ball 42, having added 95 with Athapaththu in 56 balls. With 47 needed off 36, Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama took just 23 balls to finish it.

Pakistan’s innings

Ayesha Zafar, in at No. 4, top-scored with 71 off 40 including nine fours and two sixes. Shawaal Zulfiqar made her second T20I half-century, but her 54 took 50 balls.

The pair put on 115 for the third wicket in 70 balls — though the scoring was lopsided, with Zulfiqar contributing only 37 off 30 of it. Pakistan’s opener Gull Feroza was dismissed on the first ball of the match. ESPNcricinfo notes Pakistan “may have ended their innings feeling they had left a few runs out in the middle.”

The scorecard

Sri Lanka finished on 178 for 2 from 17.5 overs, chasing a target of 178. ESPNcricinfo’s scorecard records the win as by eight wickets with 13 balls remaining.

Sri Lanka Women 178/2 (17.5 ov) — Imesha Dulani 27, Chamari Athapaththu 83*, Hasini Perera 42, Harshitha Samarawickrama 17*; Fatima Sana 1-24, Nashra Sandhu 1-38.

Pakistan Women 177/4 (20 ov) — Shawaal Zulfiqar 54, Ayesha Zafar 71, Saira Jabeen 17, Fatima Sana 20*; Sugandika Kumari 1-31, Chamari Athapaththu 1-30, Kavya Kavindi 1-13.

Athapaththu took a wicket as well as top-scoring.

A correction to one figure in circulation

Hasini Perera was dismissed. The Daily Mirror lists her as 42 not out. ESPNcricinfo records her falling at the end of the 14th over, which is also the only reading consistent with a two-wicket scorecard in which Athapaththu is the not-out batter alongside Samarawickrama. The Island’s report, carrying the same Cricinfo copy, likewise has her out for a 26-ball 42.

An earlier version of this article stated the final score was 181 for 2 and that the Daily Mirror and ThePapare had mistaken the target for the score. That was wrong. ESPNcricinfo’s own scorecard reads 178 for 2 chasing a target of 178 — a chase completed with the scores level and the winning run taken as a single, not a boundary. The two Sri Lankan outlets were correct and this article has been corrected.

The final is on Tuesday

Sri Lanka play the gold medal match on 22 September, and their opponents are now known: India.

India beat Bangladesh by 114 runs in the second semi-final at the same ground later on Sunday, according to ESPNcricinfo’s scorecard. Shafali Verma made an unbeaten 100 from 49 balls with three fours and nine sixes — her maiden hundred in white-ball internationals — and Smriti Mandhana hit 37 off 19. India posted 195 for 4; Bangladesh were bowled out for 81 in 15.4 overs.

Pakistan go to the bronze medal playoff.

Sri Lanka reached the semi-finals by beating Malaysia by 86 runs in the quarter-final on Friday, having entered the tournament with direct entry to the last eight. Athapaththu has now made significant scores in both matches — 63 off 37 against Malaysia, and 83 not out here.

A caution on searching this fixture

Sri Lanka also beat Pakistan in a Women’s T20 Asia Cup semi-final earlier this month and went on to face India in that final, losing it. That is a different tournament with a near-identical storyline, and reports of it — including a three-wicket win chasing 141, with Athapaththu making 63 off 48 — are not this match.

Not reported

No report says what Sri Lanka’s previous highest successful chase was, or when it was set — the figure this innings equalled. None addresses whether Sri Lanka’s squad is fully fit for Tuesday, or gives the start time of the final.

Sri Lanka lost to India in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final earlier this month. No report yet previews the rematch.

Sources