Ireland Women vs Sri Lanka Women Match 20 Full Commentary

Welcome back for the run chase. The umpires are out in the middle. Ireland Women players are huddled near the ropes before they take their respective field positions. Chamari Athapaththu and Imesha Dulani open up for Sri Lanka Women. Aimee Maguire to start with the new ball. Let's go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Is 130 enough? Gaby Lewis continued to fight hard at one end, bringing up a well-made 59 before finally departing in the 19th over. Alice Tector then provided a much-needed brisk cameo of 28 runs, dragging the final score to 130. However, it feels like a below-par total, thanks to a fantastic, disciplined bowling performance from Sri Lanka. Mithali Bandara, Sugandika Kumari, Chamari Athapaththu, and Nilakshi Silva picked up a wicket apiece and never let the batters break free. The players are heading off the field, and Sri Lanka will need 131 runs to win when the second innings gets underway!

A quick chat - Leah Paul says that she and Gaby Lewis tried to build up a partnership after losing early wickets and tried to set up a platform. Adds that it takes a lot of practice but her main skillset are strength and power. Says that she looks to be innovative and to manipulate the field. Paul shares that they will have to pick up early wickets as they have done in previous games, but backs her bowlers to do a good job. Says that it's been a great tournament. They were disappointed in the last two games, not being able to get over the line against New Zealand, but hopefully, they get their first win.

The rebuild - With their backs against the wall, Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul decided to dig deep and show some serious character in the middle. They steadied the ship by taking Ireland to a cautious 58 for 3 at the halfway mark. The pair managed to put together a vital 66-run partnership to breathe life back into the contest, but just as they looked to accelerate, Sri Lanka struck back in the 14th over to dismiss Paul and break the threatening stand.

Early disaster for Ireland - Ireland Women have ended their innings at 130/5. The Sri Lankan opening bowlers hit the ground running, snatching two crucial wickets in the first two overs to leave the batting side shell-shocked. Rebecca Stokell tried to counter-attack but fell in the fifth over, leaving Ireland absolutely reeling at 30 for 3 at the end of Powerplay.

Mithali Ayodhya (3-1-8-1) to bowl the final over

The next batter in is Louise Little

Gaby Lewis is looking really tired out there but Ireland Women need to make the most of the last 3 overs to put up a fighting score on the board. Also, Sugandika Kumari is back on.

From Bristol to Leeds - Right then, that is all from this game, where Sri Lanka Women bag two crucial points and keep their campaign moving in the right direction, while Ireland Women's wait for a first-ever win at the T20 World Cup continues. But the action is far from over as we now shift our attention to Headingley in Leeds, where Australia Women take on Pakistan Women in what promises to be another fascinating contest. That game is just around the corner, so simply switch tabs and join us for all the action. Until then, cheers!

The victorious skipper of Sri Lanka Women - Chamari Athapaththu says that she loves Bristol and that she has scored most of her runs in England here. Mentions that she just played her natural game, they needed a partnership and she tried to lead from the front. Chamari shares that young Mithali Ayodhya did amazingly but also praises the entire bowling unit. Chamair shares that they have enjoyed the tournament, they have won two games and lost two but will give their all in the final match against Scotland. Unfortunately, they lost against the West Indies, whom they had defeated in a couple of games before the World Cup, but they cannot control the results and jokingly ask Gaby Lewis to do them a favour of beating the Windies. Ends by saying that they are in a bit of trouble, but will keep smiling and try to play their best cricket.

The captain of Ireland Women - Gaby Lewis says that it was a tough process to rebuild as they lost two early wickets. She adds that they played a bit slow and the girls are learning eventually. She reckons that their level has gone up and they will keep on getting better. Gaby further says that Chamari is a world-class player and she did what her team needed. She ends by saying that they will try to get better and hopefully get a win in the next game.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Chamari Athapaththu wins the award for her superb unbeaten century (106 off 61). She says that Bristol is very familiar to her and she always scores runs here. Unfortunately, she didn't score in the last game, but she played her natural game today and scored runs. Chamari adds that the bowlers did a good job, especially Mithali Ayodhya, and ends by saying that she is happy to get a big win.

Presentation Time...

One-way traffic - There is not much Ireland Women could do with the ball as they came up against a special player who never gave them even a sniff of a comeback. The Irish simply had no answers to Chamari Athapaththu's brilliance, and their inability to strike in the Powerplay made the task of defending the total even tougher. Orla Prendergast picked up the only wicket to fall, but apart from that, it was a difficult outing for Ireland as they slumped to yet another defeat.

Recovery and restraint - Earlier in the game, Ireland Women found themselves in early trouble at 19/3, but skipper Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul steadied the innings with a crucial 66-run partnership. Lewis led from the front with a fine half-century, while Paul played the perfect supporting role as the duo guided Ireland to a fighting total. Sri Lanka Women, meanwhile, produced a disciplined all-round bowling effort. Apart from a few lapses in the field, they were impressive throughout, with every bowler except Kavisha Dilhari and Nimasha Meepage getting among the wickets to keep Ireland's scoring in check.

Sri Lanka Women cruise through - Sri Lanka Women came out with plenty of intent in the chase, led brilliantly by skipper Chamari Athapaththu, who looked in sublime touch from the very first ball. She dominated the strike in the Powerplay, found the fence regularly, and propelled her side to 55 in the opening six overs. The left-hander then brought up a fine half-century and, after easing off briefly, shifted gears again to notch up a superb hundred, fittingly striking the winning runs with 27 balls to spare. At the other end, Kavisha Dilhari played her role to perfection, providing excellent support in an opening stand that laid the foundation for a commanding chase.

Captain fantastic - Now, that was pure domination from Sri Lanka Women! And if you had to guess who was at the heart of it, there was only going to be one answer - Chamari Athapaththu. The skipper led from the front with a magnificent hundred, a knock that will mean a little extra after a few tough outings as both player and captain. And fittingly, it came in Bristol, a venue she clearly loves. It was here that she smashed a famous unbeaten 178 against Australia at the ICC Women's World Cup in 2017, and almost ten years later, she has returned to the same ground to bring up her maiden T20 World Cup hundred and keep the Islanders alive.

DRINKS BREAK! Sri Lanka Women just need 11 more runs now. Chamari Athapaththu is just 5 runs away from a magnificent century as well. It is going to be easy for Sri Lanka Women. They needed a big win to stay alive in this competition, and that is exactly what Chamari Athapaththu has provided them. The result is inevitable here, and all Ireland Women can try to do is delay it.

Sri Lanka Women are 114/1 after 13 overs. They just need 17 more runs to win. Orla Prendergast continues...