Javeria Khan, bowlers steer Pakistan to series win against Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Pakistan Women beat Sri Lanka by 38 runs in the third and final T20I at the Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club, winning the series 2-1.

Asked to bat first, Pakistan struggled to get going, but Javeria Khan continued to be the standout batter on tour with a run-a-ball 38 that shored up the innings. It had started steadily enough for Pakistan, with Sidra Ameen and Nahida Khan putting up 33 for the first wicket. It took them seven overs to score the runs before Nahida (19 off 23) got out off Sugandika Kumari.

Bismah Maroof was dismissed by Shashikala Siriwardena soon after, but Sidra alongside Javeria added 30 runs to keep Pakistan on top despite the slow scoring rate.

Sidra (23 off 34) was a second victim off Kumari, before the run rate picked up somewhat, courtesy Javeria and Nida Dar’s enterprise.

The two got together with Pakistan on 66/3 after 13 overs, and lifted them to 107 by the 19th before the two fell in the same over, bowled by Oshadi Ranasinghe, who ended with 2/23 to Kumari’s 2/20.

Sri Lanka’s reply seemed over before it even started properly, four wickets going down before the Powerplay was done with very little on the board. Diana Baig accounted for Chamari Athapaththu, the captain, for a duck, while Sana Mir got rid of Nilakshi de Silva, and there were a host of run outs.

Hasini Perera and Anushka Sanjeewani were both back in the hut to run outs by the fifth over, and Rebecca Vandort and Siriwardena joined them in the change room soon after, leaving Sri Lanka at 34/6 two balls into the eighth over.

There was no way back for Sri Lanka from there, and while Imalka Mendis did her bit with an unbeaten 25, the game meandered to a close with Sri Lanka getting to 75/8, Maroof chipping in with a couple of wickets late in the script.

The win gave Pakistan the T-20 series 2-1, followed by a 3-0 sweep in the ICC Women’s Championship one-day international series earlier.