At the Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi, Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket Team produced a strong response in the second One Day International to defeat Bangladesh Women by four wickets, thereby levelling the three-match series at 1–1. The deciding fixture is scheduled for Saturday at the same venue.
After winning the toss, Bangladesh opted to bat first but struggled to build a substantial innings. They were bowled out for 165 in 45.5 overs. Sri Lanka successfully chased the target, reaching 166 for 6 with 70 balls remaining, sealing a comfortable victory compared to the home side’s earlier win in the opening match.
In the first ODI, Bangladesh had performed more convincingly, dismissing Sri Lanka for 205 and chasing the target with three wickets in hand and nine balls to spare. However, the second match saw a reversal of fortunes.
Bangladesh’s batting collapse began early. Within 4.4 overs, they lost both openers cheaply—Juwairia Ferdous for 2 and Sharmin Akhter for 0, the latter having scored 86 in the previous match. Captain Nigar Sultana anchored the innings with a composed 58 off 101 deliveries, but received limited support from the rest of the line-up.
She shared several partnerships that helped prevent a complete collapse: 45 runs with Sharmin Sultana for the third wicket, 32 with Swarna Akter, 24 with Ritu Moni, and 33 with Nahida Akter. Despite these efforts, Bangladesh could not accelerate significantly in the final overs.
Sri Lanka’s bowling was led by Chamari Athapaththu, who took 3 wickets for 36 runs. Additional support came from Ranaweera, Nimasha, and Madara, each claiming two wickets, contributing to Bangladesh’s restricted total.
In reply, Sri Lanka also faced early setbacks, losing two wickets for 46 runs inside 10.2 overs. However, the middle order stabilised the chase. A crucial 77-run partnership between Harshitha Samarawickrama and Hansima Karunaratne shifted momentum decisively in Sri Lanka’s favour.
Samarawickrama scored a fluent half-century (50), while Karunaratne added 40 runs. Captain Athapaththu also contributed 40, ensuring the chase remained on track despite Bangladesh’s attempts to apply pressure.
Bangladesh’s most successful bowler was Nahida Akter, who produced an impressive spell of 4 wickets for 21 runs. Notably, she took three wickets within a span of seven deliveries, but the effort was insufficient to halt Sri Lanka’s progress.
Match Summary
| Team | Score | Overs | Top Performers | Bowling Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 165 all out | 45.5 | Nigar Sultana 58, Sharmin Sultana 25, Nahida Akter 20 | Athapaththu 3/36, Ranaweera 2/28, Nimasha 2/29, Madara 2/30 |
| Sri Lanka | 166/6 | 38.2 | Samarawickrama 50, Athapaththu 40, Karunaratne 40 | Nahida Akter 4/21, Ritu Moni 1/27, Sharmin Sultana 1/36 |
Result: Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets
Series status: Level at 1–1 after two matches