Chamari Athapaththu steered Sri Lanka to a dominant nine-wicket victory over Ireland in Bristol, keeping her team’s World Cup semi-final aspirations intact. Athapaththu delivered a masterclass, finishing unbeaten on 106 runs from just 61 balls.
Ireland struggled early on, slipping to 18-3 under sunny skies. Captain Gaby Lewis provided resistance with an impressive 59, supported by Leah Paul, which helped the Irish side post a total of 130-5. However, the target proved insufficient as Sri Lanka reached 131-4 in only 15.3 overs.
Sri Lanka’s captain was the clear standout, hitting 17 boundaries and two sixes in the highest individual score of the tournament thus far. An opening partnership of 98 runs with Imesha Dulani set the tone for the chase, significantly boosting Sri Lanka’s net run-rate. The Lions now must defeat Scotland on Friday and monitor other group results to secure a top-two finish. Meanwhile, Ireland remains winless in 21 World Cup matches as they head toward their final game against the West Indies.