Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket team skipper, Chamari Athapaththu, struck her career-best unbeaten 195 as Sri Lanka completed the highest successful run chase in women’s ODIs against South Africa, securing a fantastic six-wicket win in their third and final ODI played at Potchefstroom, South Africa, on Wednesday.
Chamari was the architect of this win with her sensational 195. Athapaththu and Nilakshika de Silva, 50 not out, shared in a 179-run fifth-wicket partnership the second-highest stand for the fifth wicket in the women’s game and rescued Sri Lanka from 126 for 4 in the 21st over. Crucially, Sri Lanka gained two points on the Women’s Championship table, which determines qualification for the 2025 ODI World Cup.
They move up to seventh spot and remain in the race for automatic entry to India next year the top five teams along with the hosts will go through with six matches left to play.
She finished with her career-best ODI score, the third-highest individual score by a batter in women’s ODIs, helping Sri Lanka level the series 1-1.
In a battle of the captains, Athapaththu’s knock overshadowed Laura Wolvaardt’s 184* the highest by a South African player and her fourth hundred since being named captain last September. She led South Africa to their fifth-highest ODI score and highest against Sri Lanka, but it was not enough.
Chief scores
Sri Lanka 305 for 4 (Athapaththu 195*, de Silva 50*, Khaka 2-54) beat
South Africa 301 for 5 (Wolvaardt 184*, Dilhari 2-47) by six wickets
Dhammika Ratnaweera