Women's World Cup: Australia beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets

June 30 (CRICKETNMOROE) - Australia beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets despite Chamari Athapaththu scoring the second highest ICC Women's World Cup score on Thursday at County Ground in Bristol. 

Sri Lanka batter Chamari Athapaththu slammed an unbeaten 178, the second highest score in ICC Women’s World Cup history, but it was not enough as Australia won by eight wickets in Bristol.

Meg Lanning guided the defending champion over the line with an unbeaten 152 as Australia reached its target in 43.5 overs for a second successive win in the tournament.

But it was Australia captain Lanning who stole the show from Sri Lanka’s Athapaththu with her winning score.

Athapaththu hit 22 fours and six sixes as she offered the only resistance and helped Sri Lanka set Australia 258 to win.

But a captain’s innings from Lanning, who hit 152 from 134 balls, the seventh highest ever at the Women’s World Cup, along with a classy 60 from Nicole Bolton, helped guide Australia to an eight-wicket victory.

India beat West Indies in Women's World Cup

Brief Score

Sri Lanka 257-9 in 50 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 178 not out, Shashikala Siriwardena 24, Eshani Lokusooriya 13; Nicole Bolton 2-18, Kristen Beams 2-49, Ellyse Perry 2-52)

Australia 262-2, in 43.5 overs (Meg Lanning 152 not out, Nicole Bolton 60, Ellyse Perry 39 not out; Sripali Weerakkody 1-39, Shashikala Siriwardena 1-62)

Player of the match -  Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)