Sri Lanka end T20 World Cup with a win

Shashikala Siriwardene has ended her international career in fairytale style, spearheading Sri Lanka to a nine-wicket Twenty20 World Cup smashing of Bangladesh.

Siriwardene was named player of the match on Monday, with her spell of 4-16 helping restrict Bangladesh to 8-91 after they opted to bat first.

Group A’s winless teams were effectively the curtain-raiser for the sudden-death showdown between Australia and New Zealand at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.

But both teams were still keen to end the tournament with a victory, especially Sri Lanka, after the long-serving Siriwardene had announced her intention to retire from all forms of cricket.

“It’s not easy playing 17 years for the country,” 35-year-old Siriwardene said.

“It’s a common thing for any sportsperson, but I think I played too long. That’s why I’m really emotional to leave this place.

“I’ll miss everything, especially my team who’ve been with me for 17 years; a few generations, but I love them all.

“I’ll be keeping in touch with cricket. If I’m not playing, maybe I can give a service to women’s cricket with my experience.”

Wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana was again the shining light for Bangladesh, recovering from a heavy hit to the helmet while playing New Zealand on Saturday to steer her team’s innings with 39 off 45 balls.

Sri Lanka had little trouble chasing down the small total, with Hasini Perera (39 not out) and captain Chamari Atapattu (30) putting on a 51-run opening stand.

The Sri Lankans secured the victory with 27 balls to spare to finish fourth in Group A.