Nilakshi de Silva fires Sri Lanka to huge win

Nilakshi de Silva hits her delivery stride

Malaysia v Sri Lanka, Women's T20 Asia Cup 2018, Kuala Lumpur June 04, 2018

Sri Lanka 136 for 3 (Mendis 36, Perera 32*, Sasha 1-12) beat Malaysia 46 for 7 (Baret 14, de Silva 3-13) by 90 runs
and ball-by-ball details

One day after being demolished by India by 142 runs, tournament hosts Malaysia succumbed to Sri Lanka by 90 runs in the Women's Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur. Chasing 137, Malaysia managed just 46 for 7 despite batting all 20 overs. Sri Lanka's victory was spearheaded by the right-arm medium-pacer Nilakshi de Silva, who snared a career-best 3 for 13. It followed a solid show from the Sri Lankan top-order, as Sri Lanka rose to second on the points table, below India.

Sri Lanka's new-ball tandem made life hard for Malaysia early in the chase. While Oshadi Ranasinghe took out Yusrina Yaakop in her first over, Shashikala Siriwardene maintained the pressure at the other end with a stingy opening spell in which she gave away just a solitary run in three overs. As a result, the time was ripe for de Silva, and she landed a double-blow in her second over, dismissing Winifred Duraisingam, the Malaysia captain, and Mas Elysa, to leave Malaysia tottering at 14 for 3. She then added a third wicket - that of Malaysia's top-scorer Christina Baret - to finish with 4-1-13-3. Siriwardene bagged two middle-order wickets.

Malaysia's attack didn't let the Sri Lankan line-up go untested earlier in the game. The Azmis - medium-pacer Sasha and fingerspinner Zumika - kept the leash on the opposition with combined returns of 1 for 22 off seven overs. Sasha dealt Sri Lanka the first blow, removing opener Yasoda Mendis, who top-scored with a brisk 29-ball 36.

Mendis' fifty-stand with Nipuni Hansika shepherded Sri Lanka to 59 for 1 at about the halfway mark. But the duo's departure, within two overs of each other, caused a slump in the scoring rate. That Sri Lanka finished on 136 for 7 was largely down to Hasini Perera's 27-ball 32 at No.4. Perera struck four fours, three of them off the last three balls of the innings, as Sri Lanka finished strongly with 39 runs off the last three overs.

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