Sri Lanka Women made short work of Pakistan Women’s 168/8, chasing down 169/1 in 18.4 overs to win by nine wickets in an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup warm-up match. Vishmi Gunaratne stayed unbeaten on 63 off 50 balls and finished the chase alongside Harshitha Samarawickrama, as Sri Lanka reached the target with eight balls left.
The result will be read as more than a practice-game flourish because the chase was built on a dominant stand at the top of the order and one of the tournament’s most decisive batting displays so far. Chamari Athapaththu drove the innings with 94 off 58 balls, striking nine boundaries and five sixes, while Gunaratne added four fours and three sixes in a calm support role that kept the innings moving.
Pakistan had given itself a platform after winning the toss and choosing to bat, with Fatima Sana top-scoring on 37 off 26 balls, Muneeba Ali making 36 off 21 and Gull Feroza adding 26 off 23. But the total always looked vulnerable once Chethana Vimukthi took four wickets for 31 runs in her four overs and Nimasha Meepage added 1 for 16, leaving Pakistan to rely on Fatima Sana’s 1/20 with the ball and a couple of tidy spells that never threatened to slow the chase for long.
The gap between the two sides was not just in the final margin. Pakistan conceded 10 extras and could not protect a competitive score, while Sri Lanka gave away eight extras and still crossed the line with ease, a sign of how completely Athapaththu and Gunaratne controlled the finish. For Pakistan, the performance was good enough to post runs but not enough to defend them; for Sri Lanka, it was a clear batting statement before the tournament proper begins.
What this warm-up means for selection or momentum is not spelled out here, but Sri Lanka will take confidence from a chase completed so efficiently, with Gunaratne unbeaten and Athapaththu in destructive form. Pakistan, meanwhile, will have to answer how a total of 168/8 was overtaken so comfortably after they had done the harder job of putting runs on the board first.
