Sri Lanka women keep the flame alive after Chamari's last over miracle

Cricket, they say, is a funny old game and Monday night's Women's World Cup clash between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh proved just that. Until the last over, Bangladesh had one hand on two points, the other ready to wave goodbye to Sri Lanka. Then Chamari Athapaththu, ever the lionhearted skipper, took the ball with nine needed off the final over and five wickets in hand. What followed was pure theatre — four wickets in four balls, two runs conceded, and a seven-run win that sent the Lankan camp into raptures. Truly, the game of glorious uncertainties never runs out of scripts.

- 

Bangladesh had no business losing this contest. But that's cricket. They well and truly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Had Sri Lanka gone down on Monday, critics would have been quick to say the team had made little headway since failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand. Yet, such a verdict would have been wide of the mark. SLC has done its bit — decent match fees, a full-time coaching setup and steady opportunities both home and away have built a stronger spine.