Sri Lanka brushes Ireland aside

Fifties from Shashikala Siriwardene, the captain, and Deepika Rasangika helped Sri Lanka Women beat Ireland Women by 49 runs in its second warm-up match before the Women’s World Twenty20 2014, at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan No 4 Ground in Savar on Thursday (March 20).

Put into bat, Sri Lanka batted steadily to post 170 for 5 in its 20 overs, and then Chandima Gunaratne and Inoka Ranaweera picked up two wickets each to restrict Ireland to 121 for 9.

Sri Lanka lost Yasoda Mendis in the second over when she was lbw to Elena Tice. After that, Chamari Atapattu and Rasangika set the platform with a 50-run stand.

Atapattu retired after making 17, one of three players to do so as none of the Irish bowlers apart from Tice and Isobel Joyce had success with the ball.

Siriwardene came to the crease after Rasangika retired for 50 in the last ball of the 13th over. Rasangika’s 31-ball innings contained seven fours. Siriwardene batted aggressively, hitting five fours and two sixes, and remained unbeaten on 50, which came off 28 balls. On the back of her effort, Sri Lanka added 68 in the last seven overs.

Ireland’s chase never got going. It lost Emma Flanagan and Clare Shillington in the first two overs. Isobel and Tice got starts but got out before the tenth over. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals and no one except for Cecelia Joyce, who made 41, could hold the innings together.

Ireland plays its second and final warm-up match against India on March 21, while Sri Lanka plays its first match of tournament proper against India on March 24.