She and Nilakshi de Silva added 190 runs for the third wicket, Sri Lanka’s highest ever partnership in ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2023

Chamari Athapaththu smashed a 60-ball hundred•Getty Images

Chamari Athapaththu’s eighth ODI hundred – an unbeaten 80-ball 140 – helped Sri Lanka ease to an eight-wicket victory via the DLS method, against New Zealand in Galle. The result meant Sri Lanka sealed the ODI series 2-1, their first ever bilateral win over New Zealand.Chasing a revised target of 196 in 29 overs, Sri Lanka seemed to be in a spot of bother at 6 for 2, with both Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama falling early. However, Athapaththu, who had scored a century at the same venue against the same opponents last week, launched a counterattack, racing to the three-figure mark off just 60 deliveries. In total, she hit 13 fours and nine sixes, and in the process moved up to joint-fourth on the list of most ODI hundreds in women’s cricket.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

While Athapaththu was the aggressor, Nilakshi de Silva also pitched in with an unbeaten 48, as the pair added 190 runs for the third wicket – Sri Lanka’s highest ever partnership in ODIs – to seal the win with eight wickets and 13 balls to spare.Earlier, New Zealand had made 127 for 2 in 31 overs on the back of Suzie Bates’ half-century. Opting to bat, New Zealand lost their opener Bernadine Bezuidenhout early, but Bates (63*) and Sophie Devine (38*) kept their team ticking. The pair added an unbroken 74 for the third wicket before persistent rain brought an abrupt end to New Zealand’s innings.