Samarawickrama 48 Not Out Puts Sri Lanka In Women's Asia Cup Semi-Final

Sri Lanka reached the Women's Asia Cup semi-final on Sunday. They beat Bangladesh by four wickets in Dubai with four balls to spare. Harshitha Samarawickrama finished on 48 not out from 37 balls. Sri Lanka had been 44 for 5. Bangladesh made 114 for 8. The chase closed at 115 for 6 in 19.2 overs.

The win was Sri Lanka's third in three Group B matches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and completed their group programme unbeaten. India had already qualified. Bangladesh now need a result against the UAE to join them, according to ANI.

Bangladesh held to 114 for 8

Chamari Athapaththu won the toss and bowled. The bowlers kept the total down. Sobhana Mostary top scored with 34 from 41 balls. Dilara Akter made 26 from 26 and Juairiya Ferdous 14. Chamodi Praboda took 3 for 21. ThePapare reported those as her best figures in T20 internationals.

No partnership lasted long enough to lift the rate. Eight wickets went down inside the 20 overs. Vishmi Gunarathne came into the Sri Lanka side as the one change, ThePapare reported. The total still took the chase into the final over.

The chase wobbles to 44 for 5

Sri Lanka were 44 for 5 at the halfway mark. Marufa Akter did most of the damage, finishing with 3 for 21. That matched Praboda's figures from the first innings exactly. For ten overs Bangladesh looked like taking the game. That left 71 runs to get from 60 balls with five wickets standing.

Samarawickrama sees it home

Samarawickrama hit four fours and two sixes. She was there at the end. Nilakshika Silva stayed with her. The pair took Sri Lanka home off the fourth ball of the twentieth over. Samarawickrama was named player of the match.

It was her 150th international appearance, Female Cricket reported. Its figures for her career to that point read as follows.

• 94 T20 internationals, 1,890 runs at 27.39, strike rate 101.34, nine fifties
• 56 one-day internationals, 1,620 runs at 35.21, two centuries and nine fifties
• Sri Lanka's second-highest run scorer in women's T20 internationals

Group B and the knockout picture

Sri Lanka came into the match on the back of Athapaththu's 7 for 5 against Indonesia, a return that included a hat-trick. The bowling has done the heavier lifting all tournament. They bowled the UAE out for 79 in their opening game, beat Indonesia next, and held Bangladesh to 114 here. All three wins came inside eight days.

The semi-finals are scheduled for 10 September in Dubai. Four associate sides were in the original draw for this edition. Bangladesh face the UAE next. A place in the last four is still open to them.