Sri Lanka women surge to series triumph in ‘Calypso ‘ style. Surge in the women’s game has given something for fans to cheer.- BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.(eLanka Sports Editor)
Chamari Athapaththu’s gladiators set a new standard for Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket with another thrashing of the West Indies in game two while ending a 16 year drought against the Caribbean team.
The unassailable series 2-0 lead gives Sri Lanka’s women another scalp over one of the best in their march to the top tier of their world commitments. It also added another series success against a team they have not dominated before.
While their success is stunning and shapes as a difference from the men’s team who were humbled in the T20 World Cup, fans are hoping for continued success that would make them a drawcard and a refreshingly new following in future battles.
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Rumesh Ratnayake and his team who are instrumental in the surge of the women’s game must be lauded for their astute direction that has seen the women’s game leapfrog many others.
It is a proud effort by the ladies who have thrown a new spectrum into their mental and physical approach which has been an Athapaththu reliance for quite a while.
From an Athapaththu perspective, the change to a team effort for a favourable outcome is without doubt her prayer for the country’s development and less reliance on individual input to deliver the country’s success.
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Having turned heads in England, New Zealand and South Africa, Sri Lanka’s women have thrown tremors through the upper rung after their incredible lift in standards and competitiveness.
Australia and India beckons as the ultimate challenge to the benchmark, and the Sri Lankans must be chomping at the bit to be pitted against them.
The second game in Hambantota saw Sri Lanka’s bowlers rise to the occasion after putting the visitors in to bat.
The pace /spin combination soon had the Windies batters in a quandary as spinner Kavisha Dilhari, enjoying a wonderful allround game grabbed 4 for 20 off 6 overs, pacie Achini Kulasuriya 2 for 16 and skipper Chamari Athapaththu 2 for 8 destroyed any hopes of a leveller bowling the visitors out for a mere 92 off 31 overs.
Sri Lanka’s batters then went on a hurricane run chase making short work of the target in just 21.2 overs. They lost 5 wickets with Dilhari again contributing with the bat scoring 28 off 38 balls. But it was opener Vishmi Gunaratne’s 50 off 50 that made the target easily gettable.
Sri Lanka can be proud of the spirited performance of the ladies who are setting the benchmark to their male counterparts.
