Sri Lanka make winning start: beat Australia by 7 runs

Sanjana Kavindi top scored for Sri Lanka Under-19 women with 28 

Australian Under-19 women pair Eleanor Larosa and skipper Lucy Hamilton during their 59-run liaison

In a low scoring game played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium Hambantota, Sri Lanka women pulled off a close seven-run win over Australia women in the opening match of the Under19 Women’s Tri-Nations T20 series yesterday.

Winning the toss and batting first Sri Lanka Women could muster only 117-6 with opener Sanjana Kavindi making a top score of 28 off 27 balls (4 fours, 1 six).

When it came to Australia’s turn to chase down the runs they collapsed to 29-4 before a 59-run stand between Eleanor Larosa and skipper Lucy Hamilton (28 off 30 balls, 4 fours) revived hopes carrying the total to 88-5 in the 17th over. However, the Lankan lasses stuck to their guns and threw alert fielding and accurate bowling denied Australia the remaining runs required for victory.

Australia required 15 off the final over with all-rounder Larosa being the key figure for Australia, but Sri Lanka with some excellent bowling kept them down to just seven runs. Larosa was left frustratingly unbeaten on 44 off 41 balls (5 fours).

The first four bowlers used by Sri Lanka, Rashmika Sewwandi, Rashmi Nethranjali, Dewmi Wijeratne and Chamodi Munasinghe took all five wickets to fall and kept a tight leash on the Australian batting sending down 47 dot balls between them.

Today: Australia Under-19 Women take on England Under-19 Women. Scores: Sri Lanka Under-19 Women 117-6 (20) (Sanjana Kavindi 28, Sumudu Nisansala 19, Hasrat Gill 2/16, Eleanor Larosa 2/21)

Australia Under-19 Women 110-5 (20) (Eleanor Larosa 44*, Lucy Hamilton 28, Dewmi Wijeratne 2/22)