Sri Lanka Women achieved a historic victory against New Zealand Women in the first ODI match. Led by captain Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lanka won convincingly by 9 wickets in a rain-affected contest in Galle.
Sri Lankan spinners restricted New Zealand to 170/5, while Athapaththu’s unbeaten 108, supported by Vishmi Gunaratne’s 50, led Sri Lanka to victory with nine wickets and an over remaining.
It was Sri Lanka’s first-ever win against New Zealand in any format. New Zealand’s innings featured contributions from Suzie Bates, Melie Kerr, and Maddy Green. Sri Lanka’s dominant performance marked a memorable start to the ODI series.
Brief scores: New Zealand Women 170/5 in 28 overs (Melie Kerr 40, Maddy Green 39; Sugandhika Kumari 1-28) lost to Sri Lanka Women 175/1 in 27 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 111*, Vishmi Gunaratne 50) by 9 wickets (DLS method)
