By Dhammika Ratnaweera
Sri Lankan women’s cricket team experienced all-rounder Shashikala Siriwardena signed off in style with four for 16 in a memorable farewell appearance for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh in their T-20 world cup fixture played at Junction Oval, Melbourne on Sunday. Siriwardena’s figures were the best in the tournament to date in her final international match, with her four for 16 a memorable farewell after 17 years of service to Sri Lankan cricket.
Her excellent bowling figures guided to Sri Lankan for the first win after losing three consecutive matches in this tournament. These figures are Siriwardena’s world cup best and she was happy to finish her career with this winning note.
Shishaikala Siriwardena said she felt ‘truly satisfied’ to help her country end their campaign on a high . Siriwardena, who has called time on her 17-year career following her country’s exit from the tournament, produced the ideal swansong as her four for 16 set Sri Lanka well on their way to a nine-wicket victory over Bangladesh. Seeing their former captain pick up the Player of the Match award was an emotional moment for Sri Lanka after their first win, but Siriwardena says the key to her match-winning performance was treating it like any other game.
“From the beginning of the day it was very hard as I knew I was playing my last game,” said Siriwardena after the Bangladesh match .“I was kind of nervous knowing I would be wearing national colours for the last time. It was pretty emotional, but I told myself it wasn’t the time to get emotional.“I knew my contribution would be important so I told myself to not think about my retirement until the match ended. I really love to perform, but the main thing was getting the win for the team. “We knew we couldn’t go without a win. We knew we had the skill and the potential to be in the top four.“I’m truly satisfied that I did something to help my country. I’ll miss being with these girls. I have spent more time with this team than with my family.”
Shashikala Siriwardena the 35-year-old most experienced player of the team played 118 ODI and 81 T-20 matches in her 17-year career. Her debut ODI played against West Indies at Kingstown on 13th March 2003 while she played her first T-20 against West Indies on 21st April 2010 at Cayon. She entered the National team as a right-arm off-spinner but later she became the all-rounder with good right-hand middle-order batting. When she was retired from the International cricket she has scored 2029 runs at ODI while 1097 runs at T-20 Internationals . As an off-spinner, she has taken 124 ODI wickets and 77 T-20 wickets.
.Chief scores
Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by nine wickets, Junction Oval, Melbourne
Bangladesh 91-8, 20 overs (Nigar Sultana Joty 39; Shashikala Siriwardena 4-16, Achini Kulasuriya 2-19)
Sri Lanka 92-1, 15.3 overs (Hasini Perera 39 not out, Chamari Athapaththu 30; Nahida Akter 1-18)
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