Sri Lanka women claim Silver in Asian Games Cricket – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE – (eLanka Sports editor)
Chamari Athapaththu and Sri Lanka can take plenty of pride from a stirling effort at the Asian Games where the plucky Islanders nearly grabbed Gold falling short of knocking off fancied India.
The Sri Lankans were gallant in defeat in the final after containing the strong Indian batting line-up to just 116 in a shock that stung one of the best teams in the world.
Chasing what seemed a gettable target, Sri Lanka found the going tough as the Indian bowlers struck back viciously to tie them down to 97 for 8 for a 19-run win.
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This performance underlines the rapid progress Sri Lanka has been in recent times and augurs well for the women’s game against the best in the world.
It also underlines the series victory over England in England recently was no flash-in-the-pan.
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The recent upward trend is definitely the input of new coach Rumesh Ratnayake who replaced former coach Hashan Tillekeratne and has made a refreshing change to the country’s fortunes.
Their skill level and new found self belief has many in the team raising the bar, and the reliance on Skipper Athapaththu to solely provide impetus is not a factor anymore.
Sri Lanka claimed their first medal of the games thanks to the cricketing exploits of the women.
Their effort was truly commendable.
