The 26-year old Harshitha Samarawickrama, who stroked a Player of the Match 77 off 93 balls scorching the boundary line on eight occasions, and Kavishka Dilhari who smashed 61 off 75 balls with 6 boundaries and 1 to the stands ignited a grand 5 wicket victory by a match turning 128-run clanging fourth wicket thrashing of a threatening South African pace attack to ushering a new aura in Sri Lanka women’s cricket in by a score of 237 off 46.3 overs after restricting South Africa to 235 for 9 in 50 overs in the Servo Cup Women’s Tri Series third fixture yesterday at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
Samarawickrama made up for her run out in the lung opener that cost Sri Lanka against India as the left hander coloured the day in a radiation of remarkably nonchalant shot for shot stroke play together with Kavisha Dilhari who smote 61 off 75 in a 6 stroke boundary lacing and one over the top in a 128 run game swinging fourth wicket run blaze.
The two rode Sri Lanka from a 90 for 3 situation after 16 overs whe.n South Africa threatened to swing it their way with the dismissal of skipper Chamari Athapaththu for 6, Vishmi Guarantee for 29 and Hasini Perers for 42.
The Perera’-Gunatatne second wicket 69 alliance had checked the early loss of champion batter Athapsththu. But South Africa came back getting rid of both in the space of 12 runs that saw Samarawickrama snd Dilhari dictate the game from that point.
It was virtually in Sri Lanka’s pocket when Dilhari fell with the score 218 by the second delivery of the 43rd over with 18 more for victory and when Samarawickrama exited It was good as done, 4 more needed by the first delivery of the 46th over to which Nilakshi de Silva 12 off 11 and Anushka Sanjeewani on 1 put the icing on the cake for Sri Lanka.
South Africa, put in to bat reached 235 on top score of unbeaten 51 by hard hitting Annerie Dercksen off 61 and Sune Luus 31.
Sri Lanka’s winner with the ball was Malka Madari who reduced South Africa with 4 wickets for 50.
Chief Scores
South Africa Women 235/9 (50 Overs)
Annerie Dercksen n.o. 51, Sune Lous 31, Tazmin Brits 14, Laura Wolvaardt 10, Malka Madara 4/50, Dewmi Vihanga 3/41, Inoka Ranaweera 1/33, Sugandika Kumari 1/49)
Sri Lanka Women 237/5 (46.3 Overs)
(Harshitha Samarawickrama 77, Kavisha Dilhari 61, Hasini Perera 42, Vishmi Gunaratne 29, Nonkululeko Mlaba 2/44, M. Klaas 1/24, Nadine Klerk 1/32, Sune Luus 1/34)