World Cup warm-up: Athapaththu blitz, Vimukthi Spell demolish Pakistan in Derby
World Cup warm-up: Athapaththu blitz, Vimukthi Spell demolish Pakistan in Derby
DERBY: A devastating four-wicket haul by Chethana Vimukthi and a powerhouse 159-run opening masterclass from Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne saw Sri Lanka cruise to a dominant nine-wicket victory over Pakistan.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up clash at the County Ground on Saturday exposed familiar middle-order vulnerabilities for the Women in Green, despite late-innings fireworks from their newly appointed skipper, Fatima Sana.
Chasing a competitive target of 169, Sri Lanka made a mockery of the run chase, hunting down the total with eight balls to spare. The foundation of the chase was a monumental 159-run opening stand that completely deflated Pakistan’s bowling attack.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu led from the front with a swashbuckling, match-defining 94 off just 58 deliveries. Her explosive innings, punctuated by nine boundaries and five towering sixes, kept Pakistan on the back foot from the opening over.
Though Fatima Sana finally broke the partnership by removing her opposite number in the 18th over, the damage was already irreparable. Vishmi Gunaratne anchored the remainder of the chase with total composure, finishing unbeaten on a stellar 63 off 40 balls (four boundaries, three sixes) alongside Harshitha Samarawickrama to cross the finish line.
Earlier in the day, Fatima Sana won the toss and elected to bat. The decision initially looked inspired as Pakistan’s opening duo of Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza injected early momentum into the innings.
Muneeba, in particular, looked in sublime touch, striking a rapid 36 off 21 balls to push Pakistan to a comfortable 60/0. However, her dismissal in the seventh over by Chethana Vimukthi triggered a catastrophic, self-inflicted collapse. Pakistan’s middle order crumbled under pressure, losing six wickets for just 45 runs in a chaotic 41-delivery window, leaving them reeling at 105/6.
With the innings in jeopardy, skipper Fatima Sana stepped up to display true captain’s grit. Partnering first with the experienced Aliya Riaz (22 off 16) for a 41-run stand, and later maximizing the death overs with Iram Javed, Sana dragged her side to a respectable 168/8.
Sana finished as Pakistan’s top-scorer with a blistering, unbeaten 37 off 26 balls, showcasing four boundaries and a six. Yet, her individual brilliance with both bat and ball (finishing as Pakistan’s lone wicket-taker) wasn’t enough to mask a bowling performance that lacked teeth against Sri Lanka’s top order.
Sri Lanka’s Chethana Vimukthi walked away with the bowling honors, dismantling Pakistan’s batting spine with highly impressive figures of 4/31 from her four overs.
