After being put in to bat, Sri Lanka Women produced a strong all-round batting performance, led by a brilliant half-century from Harshitha Samarawickrama.
She smashed 61 off just 35 balls, striking five fours and two sixes, accelerating the innings in the death overs.
Earlier, Imesha Dulani anchored the innings with a fluent 55 off 40 balls, while captain Chamari Athapaththu contributed a steady 32. Sri Lanka surged late to post 161/4, with Bangladesh’s bowlers struggling to contain the run flow in the final overs.
For Bangladesh, Sultana Khatun was the pick of the bowlers with 2 wickets, while Nahida Akter and Marufa Akter chipped in with one wicket each.
Chasing 162, Bangladesh Women got off to a promising start, with Dilara Akter scoring a quick 23 off 14 balls. However, a middle-order collapse saw them slip from 39/0 to 44/4, putting them under immediate pressure.
Captain Nigar Sultana fell for a duck, and the innings never fully recovered despite a fighting knock from Shorna Akter. She top-scored with 60 off 45 balls, keeping Bangladesh in the hunt until the final over.
Sri Lanka’s bowling unit held their nerve, with Athapaththu leading from the front by claiming two key wickets, supported well by Malki Madara and Mithali Ayodhya, who also took two wickets each.
In the end, Bangladesh finished on 136/7, falling short by 25 runs. Sri Lanka will take a 1-0 lead in the series, while Bangladesh will look to bounce back in the next match.
