Ayesha Zafar struck a match-winning 39 off 31 balls as Pakistan Women chased down 114 with four wickets and 10 balls in hand, sealing a consolation win over Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I at Dambulla on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka still claimed the series 2-1, but the hosts’ spinners could not defend a modest total on a slower pitch after dominating the bat-heavy first two matches.
Zafar’s Knock Guides Pakistan Home
Zafar anchored the chase from the middle order, and by the time she was dismissed — bowled by Chamari Athapaththu after miscuing a heave — the game was already out of Sri Lanka’s reach. Her innings had brought the equation down to just 9 runs off 23 balls, leaving no room for a late twist.
Tuba Hassan and Saira Jabeen finished the job without any nervous moments, Tuba sealing the win with a back-foot punch through the covers. Shawaal Zulfiqar also chipped in with a quickfire 21 off 12 balls at the top, striking at over 175, while Muneeba Ali’s 19 gave Pakistan a solid platform inside the powerplay.
Pakistan’s Spinners Strangle Sri Lanka’s Middle Order
The contrast in bowling was what separated the two sides. Pakistan’s spin attack bowled with far more control than Sri Lanka’s, and it was this discipline that opened the door for the chase to succeed. Both teams managed 44 runs apiece in the powerplay, but in a low-scoring contest, that alone accounted for nearly 40 percent of the target.
Pakistan pulled ahead through the middle overs, where Sri Lanka lost five wickets while collecting only 47 runs between the sixth and sixteenth overs. Umm-e-Hani, Momina Riasat, Nashra Sandhu, Tuba Hassan and Zafar shared all six wickets to fall, but it was Riasat’s twin breakthrough that changed the course of the innings.
Sri Lanka had reached 72 for 1 at the start of the twelfth over, with Athapaththu and Sanjana Kavindi building a 36-run stand off 35 balls. That partnership unraveled in the space of four deliveries. Kavindi was caught at extra cover, and three balls later Athapaththu picked out deep square leg attempting a slog sweep.
Sri Lanka never recovered the tempo after that over, adding just 40 runs across the next eight overs despite losing only three further wickets, with the death overs yielding a mere 22 runs.
SUGGESTED READ: Sri Lanka Clinch ODI Series Against Pakistan to Climb ICC Women’s Championship Table
Series Ends in Sri Lanka’s Favor Despite Final-Match Loss
Sri Lanka’s 2-1 series win was built on strong batting displays earlier in the tour, and Imesha Dulani’s tournament-topping 123 runs earned her the Player of the Series award. Skipper Athapaththu admitted afterward that her side failed to read the conditions on the day and could not set the tone with the bat.
Zafar, who also picked up the wicket of Hasini Perera during Sri Lanka’s innings, said the pitch played slower than expected but credited her team’s adaptability for the win. The result marked Pakistan’s first victory of the tour since their opening ODI, closing out the trip on a positive note even as the series slipped away.
For the latest cricket news and updates, follow JeetWin Sports.
