Athapaththu (195*) powers Sri Lanka to victory in record run-chase

Chamari Athapaththu’s epic century in Sri Lanka’s record run chase

• Level WODI series 1-all to end bilateral tour of South Africa on highly successful note

Chamari Athapaththu smashed the third-highest individual score in women’s ODIs to help Sri Lanka pull off the highest-ever successful run-chase in women’s ODIs when they chased down South Africa’s total of 301-5 to win by six wickets in the third and final WODI played at Potchefstroom Wednesday.

Athapaththu was at her brutal best as Sri Lanka stunned South Africa with a record run-chase to level the three-match ICC Women’s Championship ODI series and end a highly successful bilateral tour to the Rainbow Nation. Chasing 302 to win, Athapaththu led Sri Lanka’s fightback with a stunning hundred, and remained unbeaten on 195 off 139 balls (26 fours, 5 sixes), the third-highest score in women’s ODIs, as the visitors overhauled the target with 33 balls to spare.

Athapaththu’s innings was also the second highest individual score in a successful run chase in ODI cricket - both men’s and women’s - marginally behind the magnificent 201* Glenn Maxwell put together for Australia against Afghanistan at last year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

In a battle of the captains, Athapaththu’s knock trumped Laura Wolvaardt’s 184* - the highest by a South African player and her fourth hundred since being named captain last September. She led South Africa to their fifth highest ODI score and highest against Sri Lanka, but it was not enough.

Athapaththu and Nilakshi de Silva shared in a 179-run fifth-wicket partnership - the second-highest stand for the fifth-wicket or lower in the women’s game - and rescued Sri Lanka from 126 for 4 in the 21st over. Crucially, Sri Lanka gained two points on the Women’s Championship table, which determines qualification for the 2025 ODI World Cup. They move up to seventh spot and remain in the race for automatic entry to India next year - the top five teams along with the hosts will go through – with six matches left to play.

Sri Lanka had never scored 300 in an ODI before, much less chased that much but on a flat pitch with a fast outfield, Athapaththu fancied their chances. She hit the ball cleanly, was brutal straight down the ground and quick between the wickets and that was after opening the bowling and delivering a full quota of ten overs with a return of 1 for 59. She was the senior partner in her opening stand with 18-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne and took the fight to South Africa. They put on 90 inside 16 overs before Gunaratne was given out lbw to Delmi Tucker for 26.

Sri Lanka lost three quick wickets in succession to slump to 126-4 but the Sri Lankan captain was unfazed by the mini-collapse and simply kept batting. She brought up a hundred off 78 balls in the 26th over and kept Sri Lanka on track as South Africa unravelled. Their fielding was sloppy; overthrows were offered aplenty and importantly, Athapaththu was dropped on 128 by Sune Luus in deep mid-wicket off Nonkululeko Mlaba in the 32nd over. At the time, Sri Lanka still needed 106 runs from 18.3 overs.

Athapaththu made the most of her let-off and continued to breeze her way through the chase with Silva providing strong support and South Africa losing their way. They sent down 19 wides and two no-balls in total, and Sri Lanka cashed in. Athapaththu and de Silva combined boundary hitting with exceptional strike rotation and reached the target with five-and-half-overs – 33 balls – to spare to share the trophy.

Earlier, Laura Wolvaardt continued her stellar run in the bilateral series against Sri Lanka with a second ODI hundred in as many matches. The opener smashed an unbeaten 184 off 147 balls (23 fours, 4 sixes) to take South Africa to 301. Wolvaardt’s knock is the highest score by a South African in women’s ODIs and was also the fourth highest in women’s ODIs for a brief while, going past Athapaththu’s 178* against Australia in 2017.

Wolvaardt, who had made a hundred in the T20I leg of the tour, also smashed a century in the second ODI in Kimberley on Saturday. On Wednesday, she added another ton to her tally with a spectacular knock. But her brilliance was overshadowed by her opposite number, Athapaththu, who stole the limelight with a stunning hundred to seal the first-ever successful run-chase of over 300 in women’s ODIs. Australia had held the record for the highest run-chase in women’s ODIs for more than a decade. In 2012, Australia chased down a target of 289 against New Zealand. Last year, they also chased down 283 against India at the Wankhede.

Wolvaardt won the Player of the Series award and Athapaththu the Player of the Match award.

Sri Lanka left South Africa after their most successful visit to these shores. Along with a squared ODI series, they won the T20I series 2-1 – their first series win over South Africa.

Scores: South Africa Women 301-5 (50) (Laura Wolvaardt 184*, Lara Goodall 31, Marizanne Kapp 36, Nadine de Klerk 35, Kavisha Dilhari 2/47)

Sri Lanka Women 305-4 (44.3) (Vishmi Gunaratne 26, Chamari Athapaththu 195*, Nilakshi de Silva 50*, Ayabonga Khaka 2/54)