Vimukthi took 3 for 16 on debut, and Sri Lanka needed 47 balls to beat UAE

Sri Lanka began the defence of their Asia Cup title in Dubai on Saturday night with a win so one-sided that the whole match took less than 28 overs of cricket. UAE were bowled out for 79. Sri Lanka knocked the runs off in 7.5 overs and lost one wicket doing it.

A debut spell of 3 for 16

Chethana Vimukthi was playing her first T20I. The medium pacer kept finding movement away from the bat, beat the outside edge repeatedly, and got her first international wicket when a cross-seam delivery held its line on off stump and knocked over Lavanya Keny, who had made 3 off 11. She finished with 3 for 16 from her four overs and was named player of the match.

At the other end Mithali Ayodhya had UAE 1 for 1 inside the first over, bowling Theertha Satish, and came back at the death to finish with 3 for 14. Sugandika Kumari took 2 for 18. Chamari Athapaththu gave herself three overs and took a wicket for ten runs, and Kavisha Dilhari picked up the other.

UAE’s problem was that nobody could stay in. Esha Oza, their captain, top-scored with 18 off 24 before holing out, Samaira Dharnidharka made 17 off 25, and Rinitha Rajith’s 15 off 16 was the only innings that moved at T20 pace. Six of their batters were dismissed for single figures, and the innings ended one ball short of the 20 overs.

Athapaththu made the chase 47 balls long

Chasing 80, Sri Lanka were 58 for 1 at the end of the powerplay. Athapaththu hit seven fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 48 from 25 balls, and Imesha Dulani made 25 off 18 at the other end before Oza ran her out. Their opening stand was worth 57 in 35 balls, which was more than two-thirds of the target.

Sanjana Kavindi came in and hit five off four, and that was that: 80 for 1, 73 balls to spare, two points, and a net run rate that will be difficult for anyone else in Group B to touch.

Where this leaves the group

Sri Lanka share Group B with Bangladesh, UAE and Indonesia, and the top two go through to the semi-finals on 10 and 11 September. On this evidence they will not be one of the teams sweating over qualification.

India are in the other group with Pakistan, Thailand and Hong Kong, which means the earliest the two sides can meet is the semi-finals. Sri Lanka beat India in the last Asia Cup final, so that is a meeting a lot of people in both countries will be watching the group tables for. The final is on 13 September, also in Dubai.

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