KARACHI
\nIn-form opener Sidra Ameen smashed a blistering ton before medium-pacer Fatima Sana bagged four wickets, helping Pakistan to a 73-run win in the second One-day International and an unassailable series lead over Sri Lanka here at the Southend Club on Friday.
\nSidra, who scored 76 while chasing in the first ODI, was instrumental in helping Pakistan post 253-2 after the hosts won the toss and decided to bat first.
\nThe right-hander became only the second player to score two hundreds for Pakistan, when she plundered the Sri Lankan bowlers for 123 runs off 150 balls with the help of 11 boundaries before losing out to spinner Kavisha Dilhari.
\n\u201cIt was a tough wicket but the last innings gave me confidence,\u201d Sidra, who was assisted by some sloppy fielding by Sri Lanka, said after the match. \u201cIt was coming off the bat well.\u201d
\nSidra was given full support by fellow opener Muneeba Ali (56 off 100) and captain Bismah Maroof, who scored an unbeaten 36 off 43 balls, continuing her impressive run of form since the Twenty20 series.
\nPakistan\u2019s performance with the ball was as good as that with the bat and it was the 2021 ICC Women\u2019s Emerging Player of the Year Fatima, who gave the hosts an early breakthrough when she made struggling opener Hasini Perera play one into the hands of Nida Dar.
\nFive overs later, Dar removed Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athhtapathu before off-spinner Omaima Sohail broke a 43-run partnership between Hansima Karunaratne and (27 off 59) and Prasadani Weerakkody, when the former played it down the throat of Fatima at long-on to leave Sri Lanka at 74-3.
\nSri Lanka\u2019s problems between the wickets were at display again when Weerakkody was run out by Omaima for 20 in the 14th over.
\nThe visitors hustled to bring themselves out of trouble when Harshitha Madavi (41 off 48 ) and Kavisha Dilhari (32 off 35) combined for 61 for the fourth wicket before the partnership was broken when the latter was stumped off Omaima.
\nAfter less than two overs, Madavi fell to another run out before Fatima dismissed Nilakshi de Silva, Oshadi Ranasinghe and Sanchini Nisansala in quick successions to finish with figures of 4-26.
\nTailenders Inoka Ranaweera and Achini Kulasuriya played a total of 38 balls for just five runs to ensure Sri Lanka didn\u2019t lose another wicket before the innings ended with the visitors at 180-9.
\n\u201cWe lost it with the ball, the drop catches, especially Sidra\u2019s, she played well,\u201d said Athapaththu. \u201cKavisha and Nilakshi played well which was a positive.
\n\u201cWe had a chance to win, had Kavisha and Nilakshi continued, we could have come close.\u201d
\nThe series is first being played as part of the ICC Women\u2019s Championship\u2019s 2022-2025 cycle, which meant Pakistan got the perfect start in their qualification campaign for the 2025 World Cup.
\n\u201cWe have 4 points in the ICC Championship and will look to earn two more in the next game,\u201d Bismah said after the match.
\nThe final ODI will be played at the same venue on Sunday.
\nSummarised scores:
\nPAKISTAN 253-2 in 50 overs (Sidra Amin 123, Muneeba Ali 56; Kavisha Dilhari 1-43); SRI LANKA 180- 9 in 50 overs (Harshitha Madavi 41, Kavisha Dilhari 32; Fatima Sana 4-26, Omaima Sohail 2-35).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KARACHI In-form opener Sidra Ameen smashed a blistering ton before medium-pacer Fatima Sana bagged four wickets, helping Pakistan to a 73-run win in the second One-day International and an unassailable series lead over Sri Lanka here at the Southend Club on Friday. Sidra, who scored 76 while chasing in the first ODI, was instrumental in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":264639,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[8015,8169,20,8170,793],"class_list":{"0":"post-264625","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-fatima","9":"tag-odi-series","10":"tag-pakistan","11":"tag-sidra","12":"tag-sri-lanka"},"yoast_head":"\n