Mumbai: Sri Lankan women’s team started their World Cup campaign in style by beating defending champions England in a last ball thriller here on Friday. Sri Lankan batter Kaushalya Lokusooriya brought them a run closer after hitting two huge sixes in the last two over of their innings and made sure that Sri Lanka would not end up on a losing note.  She scored 56 runs off 41 balls with three sixes and five fours.

England were the favourites before the match but they failed to rise to the occasion and paid the price for that. They just managed to add 238 on the board after the brilliant batting display of Jenny Gunn and Amy Jones. Jenny Gunn scored a brilliant half-century whereas Amy jones scored 41 runs.

In reply to England’s 238, Sri Lankan openers started well in their chase. Chamari Attapatu managed to reach the score of 62 runs off 72 balls before getting back to pavilion and her opening partner Yasoda played a steady innings of 46 runs in 98 balls to keep Sri Lanka in the winning race. But the highlight of the match was the smashing knock of Ehsani Kaushalya who simply took the match away from England by scoring 56 runs in just few overs.

England’s next match is against hosts India, who already started their campaign on the winning note against West Indies on Thursday.