Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu who went unsold in inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) auction, smashed an unbeaten 107 in a losing cause at Rawalpindi in Women's League Exhibition final. Super Women opener scored 107 runs from 60 balls in run chase of 219 but Super Women lost the match by 33 runs as she did not have much support from the other end.
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In the run chase of 219, Muneeba Ali (12) got dismissed by Danielle Wyatt early in the innings. The half-centurion of previous game, England's Lauren Winfield-Hill became victim to Anam Amin in the fourth over. Athapaththu showed her intentions in the sixth over with two sixes off Wyatt. After powerplay overs, Super Women were 49/2.
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Athapaththu received support from Iram Javed nad hit a few boundaries to increase the scoring rate. At halfway stage, they were 90/2 as the required run rate was nearly 13 runs per over. The Sri Lankan batter got to her half-century from 32 deliveries in the 11th over bowled by Tess Flintoff. Javed could not pick up the pace and lost her wicket to Fatima Sana. She scored 35 runs from 29 deliveries including four fours and one six.
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Wickets kept falling from the other end. Athapaththu got to her century from 56 deliveries but kept running out of partners. South Africa's Sune Luus (6), skipper Nida Dar (5), Tuba Hassan (1), Syeda Aroob Shah (0) and Lea Tahuhu (10) fell cheaply. She remained unbeaten for 107 which was studded with 12 fours and six sixes.
Earlier, Amazons' skipper Bismah Maroof won the toss and opted to bat first. Amazons got off to a fierys tart. Wyatt who scored 97 in the previous game, took on Tahuhu. 20 runs came off the third over. Dar introduced herself into the attack and added Wyatt's innings as she got caught at mid-off. She scored 43 runs from 20 deliveries including seven fours and two sixes. After powerplay overs, Amazons had 67 runs on the board.
In the next over, Eyman Fatima (19) got dismissed by Umm-e-Hani. At the halfway stage, Amazons were 96/2. Beaumont played a blinder of a knock scoring 39 runs off 26 deliveries. She got dismissed in the 14th over by Tuba Hassan. Maia Bouchier contributed with a 10-ball 21 as well before getting bowled by Aiman Anwer.
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Maroof got to her half-century from 30 deliveries. In the same over Flintoff lost her wicket to Athapaththu. In the penultimate over, Aliya Riaz got out to Anwer after hitting a six. In the final over, Sana finished the innings with four consecutive boundaries off Dar to take the score to 218/6.
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