India thumps Sri Lanka for its biggest win at Women's T20 World Cup

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Captain Harmanpreet Kaur hit a robust half century against Sri Lanka to give India its biggest victory at the Women’s T20 World Cup on Wednesday.

Kaur, who won her first toss in the tournament and elected to bat, smashed an unbeaten 52 off 27 balls that propelled India to 172-3. Sri Lanka was bowled out for 90 in 19.5 overs to lose its third successive game in the tournament.

The big win bettered India’s previous best 79-run victory against Bangladesh in the 2014 edition of the tournament and also lifted its net run-rate to 0.576 after two wins and a shocking loss to New Zealand in group A.

India is at No. 2 with four points and Wednesday’s big win has kept its hopes alive for a place in the semi-finals.

Indian opening pair of Smriti Mandhana (50) and Shafali Verma (43) laid a solid foundation of a huge total as they combined in a 98-run stand off 76 balls. Both batters fell off successive deliveries when Mandhana got run-out and Verma holed out in the covers off Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu’s off-spin.

But Kaur, who hurt his neck during India’s win over archrival Pakistan, bludgeoned pace and spin in the last five overs as she hit eight boundaries and an 84-meter six over wide mid-wicket. She raised her half century with a boundary off the final ball as India plundered 59 runs off the last five overs.

Sri Lankan chase got off to a disastrous start when it limped to 3-6 as fast bowler Renuka Singh claimed two wickets in her first two overs and Athapaththu edged off-spinner Shreyanka Patil in the lone slip.

Fast bowler Arundhati Reddy and leg-spinner Asha Sobhana both ended up with identical figures of 3-19 as India avenged its recent loss at the final of Asia Cup against Sri Lanka with an emphatic win. Kavisha Dilhari top-scored with 21 and Anushka Sanjeewani made 20 while Ama Kanchana (19) the only other notable contributor for Sri Lanka.

South Africa beats Scotland

In an earlier group B game, South Africa spun out Scotland for 86 to notch its second win on a slow wicket of Dubai International Stadium.

Left-arm spinners Nonkululeko Mlaba (3-12) and Chloe Tryon (2-22) claimed five wickets between them and off-spinner Sune Luss chipped in with 1-9 for a massive 80-run win that handed Scotland its third successive loss in its maiden appearance at the tournament.

Three of the top four South African batters – captain Laura Wolvaardt (40), Tazmin Brits (43) and Marizanne Kapp (43) -- helped their team post the tournament’s highest total so far of 166-5 after Wolvaardt won the toss and elected to bat.

Wolvaardt and Brits combined in a rapid 64-run opening partnership off 45 balls before Kapp provided a late flourish with a 24-ball knock that featured six boundaries and helped South Africa cross the 160-run mark.

Katherine Fraser (1-15) broke the opening stand when she made amends for dropping Wolvaardt early and Olivia Bell took a sharp catch to dismiss the South Africa skipper in the eighth over.

Scotland came back briefly in the middle overs before Kapp played quickfire and provided South Africa a strong finish.

Scotland’s chase got derailed inside the powerplay when Tryon took simple return catches and dismissed Sarah Bryce (5) and Kathryn Bryce (7). Mlaba then sliced through the order in middle overs as Alisa Lister (12) and Fraser (14) could only reach double figures.

With its second win in three games, South Africa rose to No. 1 in group B with four points on a better run-rate than England, which also has four points after beating South Africa and Bangladesh in group matches.

Scotland is at the bottom of the table after defeats to Bangladesh and West Indies with a game against England remaining.

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