Women cricketers set for Caribbean tour

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage yesterday approved the 14- member Sri Lankan womens cricket team for the West Indian tour which is to be worked off from April 25 to May 10.

The local contingent, captained by Dilani Manodara, will include experienced players as well as several newcomers. Two freshers from Southern province, Chandima Gunaratne and Inoka Rathnaweera along with all rounder Madhuri Samudrika are the three freshers while medium pace bowler Dharshani Dharmasiri has also been selected for the tour.

Three one-dayers and five T20 matches have been scheduled for the tour, where the local girls will have their main focus in T20 matches, testing their metal prior to the T20 World Cup which is to be staged in Sri Lanka next September.

The ODIs will be played on April 25, 27 and 29 in Barbados, where the first and second T20 matches will also be played. Trinidad will be the destination for the third, fourth and final T20s. The first and fourth T20s will be day and night matches. West Indians have a slight edge over Sri Lanka in present women's cricket ranking as they were ranked in the fifth position while Sri Lanka placed two positions behind in the world scene.

Sri Lanka team – Dilani Manodara (Captain), Sandamali Dolawatta (Vice Captain), Chamari Atapattu, Inoka Galagedara, Yashodha Mendis, Shashikala Siriwardena, Deepika Rasangika, Prasadani Weerakkodi, Chamani Seneviratne, Chandima Gunarathne, Sripali Weerakkodi, Dharshani Dharmasiri, Madhuri Samudrika, Inoka Ranaweera. (Stand-by) Oshadhi Ranasinghe, Lasanthi Madhushani, Niluka Karunarathne, Udeshika Prabodhini.

AA