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Sri Lanka out to spring Cup surprise

Our team-by-team preview of the Women's World Cup contenders begins with a look at underdogs Sri Lanaka

The squad:  Inoka Ranaweera (c), Chamari Athapaththu, Chandima Gunaratne, Nipuni Hansika, Ama Kanchana, Eshani Lokusooriya, Harshitha Madhavi, Dilani Manodara, Hasini Perera, Chamari Polgampala, Udeshika Prabodani, Oshadhi Ranasinghe, Shashikala Siriwardena, Prasadani Weerakodi, Sripali Weerakkody.

Fixtures: June 24 v New Zealand, June 29 v Australia, July 2 v England, 5 July v India, July 9 v West Indies, July 12 v South Africa, July 15 v Pakistan

Best result: Fifth (2013)

ICC ranking: 8th

Recent form: After finishing eighth in the ICC Women’s Championship, Sri Lanka then finished third in the World Cup qualifiers in February to claim their berth in the tournament, beating Pakistan but losing to South Africa and India.

Image Id: A6FB519B41CF4A3A8D40BB81DEE91032 Image Caption: Chamari Atapattu blasts a boundary against Australia at the World T20 // Getty

The talking point: Sri Lanka’s squad is one of their most experienced to date, with nine of the 15 players also part of the group who played in the 2013 tournament. Former captain Shashikala Siriwardene returns after a lengthy injury lay off – her last international game was against New Zealand in March 2016 – and while she doesn’t reclaim the leadership role, she still has a big role to play as the country’s greatest ODI wicket taker and second highest ODI run scorer.

The star: Experienced opening batter Chamari Atapattu will be the key to Sri Lanka’s fortunes with the bat, particularly when the island nation comes up against the world’s fastest bowlers. She was Sri Lanka’s top run scorer during the World Cup qualifiers in February, scoring 155 runs, while she has a strong record in the game as her country’s overall highest ODI run scorer. The first Sri Lankan women to score an ODI century, she will have the experience and confidence to take on some of the more imposition opposition attacks.

Image Id: 33F521CA50714780938C8790B00153DD Image Caption: Eshani Lokusuriyage sends one down for Sri Lanka // Getty

The one to watch: Seam-bowling allrounder Eshani Lokusuriyage was the hero of Sri Lanka’s surprise wins at the 2013 tournament, scoring two half-centuries. She is one of the batters most capable of taking on opposition attacks and boosting the run rate, while her medium-pace should suit the conditions.

The verdict: Sri Lanka have the ability to surprise, there’s no doubting that. In the 2013 tournament, they shocked the world when they beat both England and India. However, they didn’t carry that momentum into the inaugural ICC Women’s Championship, finishing bottom of the table with just two wins from 21 matches. Their record in their five World Cups to date isn’t flash, either, with just seven wins from 28 matches. They have never beaten Australia or New Zealand in ODIs and given their recent form, finishing inside the top six would be a good result for them. 


Women's World Cup 2017 Guide


Australia World Cup squad: Sarah Aley, Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell (vc), Nicole Bolton, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning (c), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Squads: Every World Cup squad named so far

Australia's World Cup schedule


View the full tournament schedule here


Warm-up matches


June 20: Australia v South Africa, Oakham


June 22: Australia v Pakistan, Leicester



Tournament


June 26: Australia v West Indies, Taunton


June 29: Sri Lanka v Australia, Bristol


July 2: Australia v New Zealand, Bristol


July 5: Pakistan v Australia, Leicester


July 9: England vAustralia, Bristol


July 12: Australia v India, Bristol


July 15: South Africa v Australia, Taunton


July 18: First semi-final, Bristol


July 20: Second semi-final, Derby


July 23: Final, Lord's