Five-time champions Australia produced an impressive bowling performance to bundle out Sri Lanka for a meagre 131 in their second Super Six match of the ICC Women’s World Cup at the Brabourne Stadium here on Sunday.
Sent in to bat, Sri Lankan batting completely collapsed.
Having started at a disastrous note to be reeling at 41 for four, they eventually got all out in 45.2 overs.
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One-down batter, Deepika Rasangika (43) anchored the innings and shared a 49-run stand with wicketkeeper-batter Dilani Manodara (21), to steer her team to the three digit mark.
Offie Erin Osborne was the pick of the bowler for Australia, scalping three for nine from her 10 overs.
Australia skipper Jodie Fields’ pace attack exploited the conditions well as Megan Schutt, Julie Hunter and Holly Ferling picked up wicket apiece at the start.
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Australia were without the services of pace spearhead Ellyse Perry, who aggravated an ankle injury.
Cricket Australia Physiotherapist Claire Stokes in a statement said, “Perry has suffered an exacerbation of a pre-existing ankle impingement injury. At this stage we expect her to be fit for the next match against the West Indies.”
After losing Yashoda Mendis (0), Chamari Athapaththu (10), skipper Shashikala Siriwardene (2) and Sandamali Dolawatta (4) within the first 16 overs, Sri Lanka crawled their way back for a brief period.
The left-hander Rasangika batted patiently in the able company of Manodara and the duo steadied the innings to some extent.
Rasangika struck seven fours in her 77-ball innings before she was caught at extra cover by Lisa Sthalekar.
Sri Lanka suffered another blow when they lost the set Manodara at the same score of 90. Osborne, who dismissed Manodara, struck in her next over to dismiss the dangerous Eshani Kaushalaya Lokusooriya for a duck.
The Sri Lankan tail wagged a bit to prolong the innings and the last three batters managed to add 23 runs.