Four Half-Centurions Propel Sri Lanka To 282

Four Half-Centurions Propel Sri Lanka To 282

Deepika Rasangika sweeps powerfully during her innings of 84 against India

©International Cricket Council

Sri Lanka Women 282-5 (Rasangika 84) v
Indian Women
Women's World Cup Group A, Mumbai
Scorecard

Four players scored half-centuries as Sri Lanka Women posted a new national record score of 282 for five against India Women in their decisive final Women's World Cup group game in Mumbai.

Deepika Rasangika's 84 in 109 balls is the highest World Cup score by a Sri Lankan woman while Yasoda Mendis, Shashikala Siriwardene and Eshani Kaushalya also passed fifty.

Kaushalya, whose late surge inspired Sri Lanka's upset win over England in their first game, played another gem of an innings, hitting a string of powerful straight shots to make 56 in 31 balls.

Mendis made 55 in 80 and Siriwardene 59 in 67 deliveries as Sri Lanka easily overtook their previous best effort of 251 for five despite Jhulan Goswami returning three for 63.

The bulk of those runs were conceded in her early spell as she, Amita Sharma (1-41) and Shublakshmi Sharma (0-52) offered Mendis and Rasangika countless opportunities to score by bowling too wide and too short.

Chamara Atapattu had fallen early, well caught at slip by Mithali Raj off Goswami in the first over but India would not be celebrating again for nearly 24 overs.

Mendis hit eight fours in her innings while Rasangaka hit 11, the left-hander taking advantage of the width to cut well through the off side but was also versatile enough to step across her stumps and hit powerfully into the leg side.

Mendis fell when she was caught by Gouher Sultana off Amita Sharma but there was no respite for India as Siriwardene came in and helped Sri Lanka accelerate towards the end of their innings.

The end of Rasangika's outstanding innings came when she was run out by Reema Malhotra and although Goswami bowled Sripali Weerakkody with a spearing yorker that removed off stump, there was nowhere the home side could bowl at Kaushalya, whose six fours and three sixes has left them with a tough run chase ahead of them.

Only two Sri Lankans - Vasanthi Ratnayake and Atapattu - have scored more than Rasangika did today, but neither innings came in a must-win World Cup match as this knock did.

© Cricket World 2013