Summary

  • Pakistan's spinners set up impressive 31-run win in Sharjah - report

  • Iqbal takes 3-17 as Sri Lanka fall short

  • Pakistan restricted to 116 all out (Athapaththu 3-18)

  • Sana (30 off 20) boosts Pakistan with late hitting

  • Scotland beaten by Bangladesh in opener - report

Live Reporting

by Mike Peter & Timothy Abraham

  1. Sri Lanka are favourites here. Mike Peter is on hand to guide you through the chase.

  2. 'Sri Lanka still reliant on Athapaththu'

    Having won their first-ever Asia Cup title beating India recently, Sri Lanka are definitely a team on the rise under their influential captain Chamari Athapaththu.

    The 34-year-old was up until August her country's only white-ball centurion with 12 hundreds, but 19-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama have since then broken that monopoly, signalling a change of guard is imminent in Sri Lankan cricket.

    "If I am being completely honest, they still rely on Athapaththu a lot. She scores 80% of the runs most of the times they win, so I think there's still so much pressure on her," former England bowler Alex Hartley said on BBC Test Match Special.

    "They have started winning when she's contributed less recently. She wants to leave Sri Lankan cricket in a better place and they're slowly but surely getting there."

    "We have seen one or two players step up every now and then, but it's still a surprise when they do," Hartley said.

    Listen to the full preview of the Women's T20 World Cup on BBC Test Match Special.

    Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka poses for a portrait ahead of the Women's T20 World CupGetty Images

  3. How's stat?!

    Sri Lanka have won their last three women’s T20 internationals against Pakistan, after losing six consecutive matches prior to that.

  4. Sri Lanka set 117 for victory

    Pakistan's total of 116 all out feels a little below par. They are going to have to bowl well.

    Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu is the big wicket.

  5. Tash Farrant
    England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Sri Lanka will be the happier of the two teams. We thought at one point that Pakistan wouldn’t make the 100 mark but they had a fair bit of fire power in the middle from Fatima Sana which proved crucial.

  6. wicket

    WICKET

    Iqbal c Gunaratne b Prabodhani 2 (Pak 116)

    Iqbal falls for two

    Pakistan are bowled out.

    Sadia Iqbal is unable to get enough elevation or distance off the final delivery of the innings. bowled by Udeshika Prabodani. and chips it in the air.

    Vishmi Gunarathne snaffles the catch.

  7. Pak 115-9

    Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sundhu manage to scramble a couple of singles apiece off Udeshika Prabodani.

    Two balls left.

  8. Tash Farrant
    England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    This is a massive five deliveries for Pakistan now. If you are able to get over that 120 mark, it's really important. They need to find the boundary a couple of times here, it will really build the confidence in the camp.

  9. wicket

    WICKET

    Sana c Sanjeewani b Prabodhani 30

    Fatima caught for 30

    It is, in fact, deemed to be bat by Anna Harris who was just thinking out loud.

    Fatima Sana is on her way.

  10. Henry Moeran
    Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

    It looks like this is going to be out....

  11. Sri Lanka review

    Anna Harris, the third umpire, suggests the noise could be Fatima Sana's pad on the ground.

  12. Sri Lanka review

    There's a spike... Is this out?

  13. Sri Lanka review

    Udeshika Prabodani starts with a wide.

    He first legal delivery brings a huge drive to another wide-ish one from Fatima Sana which is appealed for caught behind.

    Sri Lanka send it upstairs.

  14. Pak 112-8

    Udeshika Prabodani to bowl the final over. Fatima Sana is on strike.

  15. dropped catch

    Sana dropped on 29

    Harsh to call his a drop,.

    Fatima Sana powerfully slog sweeps Sachini Nisansala behind square, and there's a diving effort Harshitha Madhavi but she is unable to quite cling on.

  16. Tash Farrant
    England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    FatimaGetty Images

    Fatima Sana has been the best batter on the pitch today - she's timed that beautifully!

  17. 6 runs

    Pak 107-8

    Fatima 'wallops' Nisansala for six

    Wallop!

    Fatima Sana heaves Sachini Nisansala over the rope for six.

    Vital runs for Pakistan at the business end of their innings.

  18. Pak 101-8

    Fatima Sana and Nashra Sundhu are not quite able to connect with some big shots to Sugandika Kumari.

    Nashra nudges the final ball of the over into the leg side to get Pakistan into three figures.

  19. Pak 98-8

    Athapaththu picks up back-to-back wickets

    Chamari Athapaththu has played a key role with the ball. She will be crucial with the bat for Sri Lanka.

  20. Pak 97-8

    Fatima Sana really should be batting higher up.

    She picks up an boundary off left-arm spinner Sachini Nisansala early in the over, then she and Nashra Sandhu run well between the wickets.

    Three overs to go.