Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 31 runs: Women’s T20 World Cup – as it happened

That’s it for our live coverage of Pakistan’s victory against Sri Lanka on the opening day of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

We’ll be back on Friday with India’s match against New Zealand.

We hope you enjoyed our coverage of the match in Sharjah and can join us again on Friday.

For now, though – from me, Kevin Hand – it’s goodbye.

“We wanted a lot of runs on the board but we didn’t get it, unfortunately, but our whole team backs each other and we maximised our target,” the Pakistan captain said. “We want moment from here and we will try to win as many as we can.”

“I would like to congratulate young captain Fatima Sana, she did wonderfully well,” the Sri Lanka captain said at the post-match ceremony. “We struggled to chase in these conditions and I hope we can bounce back in the coming games.

“We bowled really good but we have to bat better. I feel we can create other shots because the track is slow and low. Even the outfield is slow. We have to be positive in the next three games. We have to play our fearless cricket. I know Australia [Sri Lanka’s next game] is a good team, but if we play well we can beat any team.”

“I’m very excited and thanks to my team and management because they supported me a lot,” the Pakistan captain told the post-match ceremony.

On her 30 off 20 with the bat, she added, “I believe in myself and try to back myself and try to be calm.”

And on claiming the wicket of her opposite number, Sana said, “We all know is a good player so I’m glad we got that wicket early.”

The stadium becomes a light show for the fans to herald the end of the game. It certainly felt like lights out at times for Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka finish on 85-9. What a start for Pakistan against one of the favourites.

The left-hander scoops the first ball of the final over straight to the keeper – catching practice.

Nisansala c Muneeba b Sana 3 (7)

Dar drops a dolly. Nisansala gets a leading get to cover but the ball slips through the fielder’s fingers. If there’s one thing Pakistan must look at then it is their catching.

The right-hander attempts a late cut but no run is gained.

An attempted sweep, first ball, fails and so does Sri Lanka’s number nine.

Sugandika LBW b Sadia 0 (1)

A top-edged sweep is taken at short fine-leg and the end is nigh for Sri Lanka.

Nilakshika c Nashra b Sadia 22 (25)

Nilakshika sweeps two to end the over. Eight come off it as Sri Lanka make one last push for a comeback. 37 needed off 12 balls.

The number eight goes for a big shot but the ball beats everyone and Sri Lanka have two byes. A single follows and it’s 41 to win from 15.

Feroza puts one down at deep midwicket having just held one off the the same shot in the same position. Different batter, though, and a reprieve for Nilakshika, who moves to 17* from 20.

The right-hander picks out deep midwicket attempting a pick-up shot for six.

Sanjeewani c Feroza b Sadia 5 (10)

It’s been 51 balls since the last boundary in this innings. 50 are needed from 24 balls.

The running between the wickets is becoming more dynamic. A quick check is made on the latest two by Nilakshika to ensure she grounded her bat. Three off the first three balls of the over by the leg spinner, Tuba.

Two twos and two singles are taken off Nashra’s final over. She finishes with 2-15 off her four. Nilakshika has 11* from 14. Sanjeewani has 2* from 7.

Three singles off the over and the required rate has climbed to 10.33. A reprieve for Sanjeewani but, at this stage, it only appears to be delaying the inevitable.

Tuba enters the attack and the leg spinner screams for an LBW off her second ball as Sanjeewani sweeps. The umpire agrees. DRS shows there was a flick of the glove on the way through to the pad.