Sri Lanka 260 for 7 (Athapaththu 101, Madavi 75, Amin 2-43) beat Pakistan 167 (Riaz 56, Athapaththu 2-20, Ranasinghe 2-29) by 93 runs
A number of curious captaincy decisions by Bismah Maroof, who had a torrid day, didn’t help. She brought herself on when a wicket was needed, though it was quickly apparent she wouldn’t be the one to deliver it. An increasingly emboldened Athapaththu was taking on every bowler at that point, and she wasn’t spared. When Diana Baig did come on, she was accosted with three fours off her first three balls.
When Nida Dar finally had Athapaththu stumped, she had brought up her hundred, and a number of cameos lower down the order took the visitors to 260. Pakistan had only ever managed more than that in a second innings once and, against a buoyant Sri Lanka, they had their work cut out if they were to manage something similar.
The chase followed the expected script as Pakistan couldn’t even come close. The fall of Sidra Ameen was perhaps unfortunate, with the batter getting an inside edge onto her pad though she was given out lbw. However, what followed was Pakistan’s own doing. An ordinary call for a non-existent single from Maroof saw Muneeba Ali run out. Soon, Maroof was bowled for a duck by Oshadi Ranasinghe while Nida Dar was cleaned up by Athapaththu.
Aliya Riaz’s half-century brought some respectability to the scorecard for Pakistan, but the target was a way away. Sri Lanka kept chipping away as Pakistan waited for the inevitable and, with more than eight overs to go, folded for 167. Sri Lanka may not leave with either of the two trophies they fought for in Karachi, but they had the consolation of the last laugh.