Sri Lanka maintained their winning momentum in the Women’s Asia Cup on Wednesday, September 2, securing a comprehensive 75-run victory against Indonesia. The match, which saw Sri Lanka post 124/7, was defined by a remarkable recovery led by Nilakshika Silva and a historic bowling performance from captain Chamari Athapaththu.
Opting to bowl first, Indonesia initially dominated the proceedings. Sri Lanka struggled early, losing wickets at regular intervals to find themselves in a precarious position at 62/6 by the eighth over. The innings stalled significantly, with a 43-ball stretch yielding no boundaries. However, Nilakshika Silva anchored the recovery, eventually reaching her third T20I half-century from the No. 6 position. Her late-innings aggression, including a reverse scoop and a six, helped push the total to 124/7. For Indonesia, Dewi claimed 3-23 and Maypriani took 2-19.
The chase proved disastrous for Indonesia, who were dismantled by Sri Lanka’s disciplined spin attack. Athapaththu initiated the collapse by bowling opener Pangestuti, while Sugandika removed Dewi shortly after. The pressure mounted as Indonesia struggled to find the boundary, with only one four recorded between the second and 15th overs. By the 10th over, Indonesia was reeling at 29/5 after Dilhari dismissed Wulandari.
Athapaththu returned to deliver a devastating final spell, finishing with career-best figures of 7 for 5—the best-ever T20I performance by a Sri Lankan player and her first international five-wicket haul. Her final act included dismissing Ariani, Maypriani, and Paramitha in consecutive deliveries, securing the first-ever Women’s T20I hat-trick for Sri Lanka. Indonesia was eventually bundled out for 49 in 18.3 overs.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka Women 124/7 in 20 overs (Nilakshika Silva 50, Sanjana Kavindi 15; Dewi 3-23, Maypriani 2-19) beat Indonesia Women 49/10 in 18.3 overs (Suwandewi 12, Pangestuti 10; Chamari Athapaththu 7-5, Kumari 1-3) by 75 runs. The report also notes that they were down to 36/4, struggling against accurate bowling and, at times, low bounce, by the eighth over. The report also notes that but Sri Lanka managed to crawl up to 68/6, none came in a 43-ball stretch. The report also notes that securing a hat-trick, she snapped up the last three wickets to hastily end the innings. The report also notes that when Ni Ariani snuck one through to Imesha Dulani’s stumps, compensating for an early drop, their first punch came in the second over. The report also notes that but Indonesia’s spinners kept striking back. The report also notes that they had added 21 more runs, by the 17th over.
