Sri Lanka Women Under-19 produced a disciplined all-round performance to register a convincing 35-run victory over England Women Under-19 in their Tri-Series encounter at the Ian Healy Oval on Friday.
Batting first, Sri Lanka U19 posted a competitive 104 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs, with Vimoksha Balasuriya anchoring the innings with a patient 34 off 40 balls. She found useful support from Sanjana Kavindi, who contributed 26 off 33 deliveries as Sri Lanka recovered from early setbacks to reach a defendable total.
England U19 bowlers kept things tight, with Eliza Bristow leading the attack with impressive figures of 3 for 15, while Venus Weerappuli chipped in with useful lower-order resistance to push the total past the 100-run mark.
In reply, England Women U19 struggled against Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling attack and were restricted to just 69 runs in 16.3 overs. Amelia Oliver top-scored with 16 off 23 balls, while Shristi Patil added 12, but the rest of the batting line-up failed to cope with Sri Lanka’s pressure.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Limansa Thilakarathne producing an outstanding spell to claim 3 for 12, breaking the backbone of England’s chase. She received excellent support from Aseni Thilagune, who picked up 2 for 12 to ensure England never gained momentum.
The victory highlighted Sri Lanka U19’s growing depth and composure, particularly in defending modest totals. Their disciplined bowling and sharp fielding proved decisive, as England were unable to build partnerships throughout the chase.
Scores:
Sri Lanka Women U19 – 104/8 (20 overs)
Vimoksha Balasuriya 34, Sanjana Kavindi 26; Eliza Bristow 3/15
England Women U19 – 69 all out (16.3 overs)
Amelia Oliver 16, Shristi Patil 12; Limansa Thilakarathne 3/12, Aseni Thilagune 2/12
Sri Lanka Women U19 won by 35 runs.
