Injury scare for Sri Lankan ace

SRI Lanka is upbeat that Achini Kulasuriya will be fit for the country’s Twenty20 World Cup opener after being struck on the head and taken to hospital during a nasty scare in Sunday’s warm-up match.

Kulasuriya was hit on the top of her head after misreading a skied catch in the deep at Adelaide’s Karen Rolton Oval.

The fast bowler, having been taken from the field in a stretcher then rushed to hospital in an ambulance, returned to the team hotel later on Sunday. The clash was abandoned following the incident, which shocked both Sri Lanka and opponents South Africa.

Kulasuriya sat out yesterday’s warm-up game against England, but remains in the mix for Sri Lanka’s World Cup opener against New Zealand at the WACA on Saturday.

“She will be OK. Hopefully she can play our first game,”

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu said at the T20 World Cup launch in Sydney.

Sri Lanka sits above only Bangladesh and Thailand in World Cup betting markets, with few pundits tipping them to progress to the semi-final stage of the tournament.

But Athapaththu proved herself a world-class performer in Australia earlier this summer, scoring her maiden T20 century on the trip then backing it up with a one-day hundred. Sri Lanka failed to register a victory during that tour but Athapaththu — who represented Melbourne Renegades during the most recent women’s BBL season — suggested the tour of Australia was ideal preparation for coming weeks.

“We learned a lot about them and what makes them the best team in the world. We’re going to try to play positive cricket, our dream is to get into the semi-finals,” she said.

ROB FORSAITH