Athapaththu, Sanjeewani help SL beat Pakistan in last over-thriller

Chamari Athapaththu's fighting 63 off 48 balls and Anushka Sanjeewani's unbeaten 24 off 22 helped Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by three wickets in a last-over thriller in the second semi-final of Women's Asia Cup 2024. The win saw Sri Lanka march into the final for the second successive edition.

Two years ago in Sylhet, they held their nerve with the ball to overcome Pakistan by one run in the semi-final. Once again, Sri Lanka will meet India in the title clash.

On Friday, momentum swung multiple times during the course of the match. After restricting Pakistan to 140 for 4, Sri Lanka had to dig deep in the chase as Sadia Iqbal spun a web around their batters with a four-wicket haul. But Athapaththu stayed firm and found able partners, first in Kavisha Dilhari and then in Sanjeewani. With the latter, Athapaththu shared a match-changing stand of 42 off 29 balls for the fifth wicket. However, Iqbal dismissed Athapaththu in the 17th over to turn the tide Pakistan's way yet again.

At that point, Sri Lanka needed 21 off 20 balls with five wickets in hand. They lost two more wickets but with three required from three balls, Sanjeewani and Achini Kulasuriya took the team home.

Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza continued from where they left off against UAE. The Pakistan openers set the tone early by adding 45 runs in the powerplay.

Feroza, coming off two consecutive fifties, was off to a flying start, punishing seamer Achini Kulasuriya for three fours in the third over. After a quiet over from Sugandika Kumari, Muneeba swept Athapaththu for two fours and started the next over, by Udeshika Prabodhani, with an elegant straight drive.

Sri Lanka pulled things back in the middle overs, conceding only 56 runs between overs 7-16 and picking up four wickets. Playing her 100th T20I, Prabodhani removed Feroza when the opener miscued one to deep midwicket in the tenth over of the innings. Five balls later, she cleaned up Muneeba as the batter shuffled across too much to sweep and exposed her stumps.

Nida Dar broke the shackles with a six and a four off Kulasuriya in the 14th over but Sidra Amin, who was struggling at the other end, holed out to short third when she mistimed a reverse sweep off Dilhari in the next over. Four balls later, Dilahri trapped Dar lbw.

At 101 for 4 after 16 overs, Pakistan found quick runs from Fatima Sana. She smashed Dilhari for two fours in the 17th over and Inoshi Priyadharshani for another boundary on the first ball of the 19th. Her unbeaten 23 off 17, and an unbroken stand of 41 off 31 balls with Aliya Riaz, lifted Pakistan. Sri Lanka's fielding was disappointing as they dropped catches, missed run-out chances and had several misfields.

Sri Lanka lost Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama early and ended their powerplay on 35 for 2. But Athapaththu and Dilhari steadied the innings by adding 59 off 46 balls for the third wicket. Athapaththu, after a sedate start, picked up the pace and found the boundary at a steady rate.

With 63 needed from 52 balls, Pakistan stormed back into the game, thanks to Iqbal's double-wicket over that left Sri Lanka at 78 for 4. But Sanjeewani and Athapaththu blunted Pakistan with a flurry of boundaries in the next few overs. En route, Athapaththu also notched up her 11th T20I half-century. That Pakistan were also sloppy in the field - Muneeba missed stumping Dilhari and later failed to appeal when she stumped Athapaththu - didn't help them either.

Just when it looked like Sri Lanka would have it easy, Pakistan fought back again through Iqbal. She dismissed Athapaththu in her final over to finish with figures of 4 for 16. In the following over, Hasini Perera was run out after a mix-up. Nashra Sandhu then conceded 13 of the penultimate over, where Kumari hit two fours to bring the equation down to three needed from six balls.

Dar brought herself on for the final over and dismissed Kumari off the second ball but it wasn't to be for Pakistan.