Amazing game this. The crowd in Dambulla got their worth. Hopefully they would be back on Sunday, for India vs Sri Lanka in the afternoon. And I hope you enjoyed our coverage today, and joins us for the final of the Women's Asia Cup 2024. Thanks for joining, and till teh next time, take care! Ciao!
10:28pm Time for the presentation
Nida Dar, Pakistan captain: "Totally heartbroken. Lot of positives for my sides. A lot of young players, have a lot of potential. I must appreciate my team. A very good game of cricket. We were 10-15 runs short. If you use the new technology [DRS], the result might have been different. 140-145 is a wonderful score, but we can defend it. We went down to the last ball. Youngsters bowled well, batted well, took responsibility."
Chamari Athapaththu, the Sri Lanka captain, is the Player of the Match: "The game was very tight. Unfortunately I got out early, I had to finish the game. The girls finished the game in style. Hope my girls will continue this performance in the final as well. Good track for batting, positive intent is important. We lost a couple of wickets early, but stuck to our plan. I took my time because we lost wickets early. I am a senior batter, so I changed my batting style. I tried to finish the game but got out. Finals - very important game, but we don't want to take pressure. It is just one game, we want to enjoy the moment." She then goes on to thank the crowd in Sinhala.
10:17pm Everybody runs in, Sanjeewani is on the floor. The players are on her. Sri Lanka have pulled off a magical win. Dar looks inconsolable. Pakistan look disconsolate. Another Asia Cup semi-final, another heartbreak for them. What a game we have had. Pakistan did so well to bring the game deep from a point where Sri Lanka needed 21 off 21. Athapaththu now walks out with her team in toe. The handshakes take place, Athapaththu hugs each of her opponents. She has been at the receiving end of so many of such close contests. And that too from doorsteps of wins. Not this time. Not tonight. And certainly not at home in Sri Lanka.
Once again it was all upon Athapaththu. It almost wasn't. Dilhari played her bit. Sanjeewani did her thing. But without Athapaththu's contribution, Sri Lanka would have still fallen short. It was not the most fluent knock. But it is how Sri Lanka have played for a long time. Not so much this year, where they have been quite superb. The second semi-final is theirs, and they set a finals date with India on Sunday afternoon.
A word on Pakistan. Their batting has transformed and how. The openers Muneeba and Feroza are firing. If conditions in Bangladesh for the Women's T20 World Cup are anywhere close to how they have been in Dambulla, Pakistan could be a force to reckon. Today they also managed a tall finish - 40 runs in the final five overs. And then Sadia Iqbal. How will she be consoled tonight? Gave it her all and returned her best T20I figures, including getting rid of Athapaththu. But her efforts were just not enough. Dar took on the responsibility of bowling the final over - should she have bowled the penultimate? - and began with three dots including a wicket. But it just was not to be.
Uff! My fingers have got a proper workout. A short break then, don't go anywhere, do hang around for the presentation
Ashan : "Dar made sure everything correct in terms of fielding placements and then bowled a wide.." It was a very close call. She fired it in anticipating the charge. Good on Muneeba to have stopped that
Rayen: "Irrespective of the results, one hell of a match this is. Swinging here and there and great to see for the neutrals"
Shashank: "One of the most busiest pendulum I have witnessed in Women Cricket. Great for the game."
Wijerathne Bohi: "Fitting end and ideal entry to the final for Sri Lanka."
