High riding Sri Lanka aim to take an early lead

Sri Lanka Women’s tour of South Africa 2024 (First ODI)

Sri Lanka Women, who have been performing exceptionally well, will aim to take an early advantage when they take on South Africa Women in the first match of the 3-match ODI series on Tuesday (9) in East London.

This series holds great importance as it is part of the ICC Women’s Championship and will take place from 9 to 17 April at various venues in East London, Kimberley, and Potchefstroom.

After their recent victory in the Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) series, which they won 2-1, Sri Lanka Women are confident and determined to continue their winning streak in the 50-over format.

They will rely heavily on their opening pair Vishmi Gunaratne and captain Chamari Athapaththu to provide a strong start.

Chamari, who has been impressive with her off spin and also contributed with a match-winning knock of 73 runs in the T20I series decider, will be crucial for Sri Lanka’s success in the ODI series as well.

Sri Lanka possess a strong batting like up with the likes of Harshitha Samarawickrama, who has been in impressive form, batting at number three, followed by either Kavisha Dilhari or Nilakshi de Silva at number four.

Wicket keeper batter Anushka Sanjeewani at number five and Hasini Perera at number six will play important roles, while Oshadi Ranasinghe will be the finisher at number seven.

In terms of bowling, Sugandika Kumari and Achini Kulasuriya will lead the pace attack, while Inoka Ranaweera’s wrist spin will be valuable in the latter stages of the innings.

On the other hand, the South Africa Women’s team is determined to bounce back in the ODIs after their disappointment in the T20Is. They are eager to showcase their dominance on home soil and improve their performance.