Home Cricket Facts Athapaththu signs with Northern Brave for Super Smash 2023-24

Athapaththu signs with Northern Brave for Super Smash 2023-24

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Athapaththu signs with Northern Brave for Super Smash 2023-24


Chamari Athapaththu, who has been in the midst of a sensational run of form, has been entered by Northern Brave for the 2023-24 Women’s Super Smash competition, with the team calling it “a big coup”.

Sri Lankan stalwart Athapaththu plays in the WBBL for Sydney Thunder and is currently the second highest run-scorer in the tournament among teams with a total of 451 runs in 12 innings at an average of 45.10 and strike rate of 134.62, only behind. Perth Scorchers’ Beth Mooney, who has 535 runs from 12 innings.

In a statement released by Northern Districts, she said she was “super excited” about the opportunity. Athapaththu will join the Northern Brave camp at the end of December.

“We are excited to have Chamari in the group,” Eimear Richardson, the Irish international who is also Northern Brave captain, said in the statement. “He’s been in great form in recent months and is currently showing the class he has in the WBBL, so we’re excited to add the firepower of him to our lineup.

“Chamari’s all-round skills will be a great addition to Super Smash and will surely excite the crowd with bat and ball in hand. It will be fantastic to have a player of her skills on the park with us.”

Athapaththu, the ninth highest run-getter in women’s T20Is with 2651 runs in 120 innings, has had a sensational 2023. In ODIs, there were the two centuries (108 not out and 140 not out) against New Zealand at home in Galle in June, which gave Sri Lanka a famous 2-1 series victory, while this year they also reached three halves centuries in 16 T20I innings. In total, she has 3,255 ODI runs at an average of 34.26 with eight centuries, and 2,651 T20I runs at a strike rate of 106.20 with one century.

A more than useful spin-off, Athapaththu also has 68 wickets in international cricket.

“There is no doubt that his exciting skill set and destructive X-factor will be a great addition to our team but, equally importantly, to the competition as a whole.”

Ian Sandbrook, General Manager of Performance and Talent, Northern Districts

Easily Sri Lanka’s most popular cricketer, Athapaththu has played in the Women’s CPL, for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, as well as the FairBreak Invitational T20 tournament and the Women’s T20 Challenge. In the WBBL, Thunder is her third team, after becoming out of the Melbourne Renegades and Scorchers in previous seasons.

“We can’t wait for a world-class player like Chamari to join the Northern Brave for this season’s Super Smash competition,” said Ian Sandbrook, Northern Districts general manager of performance and talent. “There’s no doubt that his exciting skill set and destructive X-factor will be a great addition to our team, but just as importantly, to the competition as a whole.

“We also know that Chamari will be a great role model and leader within our environment, and imparting these behaviors to our talented young team is another important step in making the Northern Brave the best performance environment in the country.”

Northern Brave’s Super Smash campaign begins on December 22 as part of a double-header with the Brave men’s team taking on Central Districts’ Hinds (women) and Stags (men) at Seddon Park. Athapaththu is expected to be available for selection for the match against Wellington Blaze on January 2.

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