Atapattu special powers Sri Lanka to record run-chase

Chamari Atapattu smashed the third-highest individual score in women’s ODIs to help Sri Lanka pull off the highest-ever successful run-chase in women’s ODIs.Atapattu was at her brutal best as Sri Lanka stunned South Africa with a record run-chase in Potchefstroom to level the three-match ICC Women’s Championship ODI series and end a highly successful bilateral tour to the Rainbow Nation.

Chasing 302 to win, Atapattu led Sri Lanka’s fightback with a stunning hundred, and remained unbeaten on 195, the third-highest score in women’s ODIs, as the visitors overhauled the target with 33 balls to spare.

Atapattu’s innings was also the second highest individual score in a successful run chase in ODI cricket – both men’s and women’s – marginally behind the magnificent 201 not out Glenn Maxwell put together for Australia against Afghanistan at last year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Earlier, Laura Wolvaardt continued her stellar run in the bilateral series against Sri Lanka with a second ODI hundred in as many matches. The opener smashed an unbeaten 184 to take South Africa to 301 in the third and final ODI of the series.

Wolvaardt’s knock is the highest score by a South African in women’s ODIs and was also the fourth-highest in women’s ODIs for a brief while, going past Atapattu’s 178* against Australia in 2017.

Wolvaardt, who had made a hundred in the T20I leg of the tour, also smashed a century in the second ODI in Kimberley on Saturday. On Wednesday, she added another ton to her tally with a spectacular knock.

But her brilliance was overshadowed by her opposite number, Atapattu, who stole the limelight with a stunning hundred to seal the first-ever successful run-chase of over 300 in women’s ODIs.

Australia had held the record for the highest run-chase in women’s ODIs for more than a decade. In 2012, Australia chased down a target of 289 against New Zealand. Last year, they also chased down 283 against India at the Wankhede.

Prior to the ODI series, Sri Lanka had secured a come from behind win in the T-20 series.The Sri Lankan side coached by former great Rumesh Ratnayake will now travel to Abu Dhabi for the World Cup Qualifiers.