New Zealand are in serious danger of missing out on a place in the semifinals of the Women’s T20 World Cup. On Tuesday, June 16, Sri Lanka produced a stunning performance to defeat the defending champions by five wickets at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Despite a brief drizzle, Sri Lanka remained unfazed and completed their highest successful run chase in the tournament’s history.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Women’s T20 World Cup: Highlights | Scorecard
Nilakshika de Silva led the charge with an experienced knock, scoring a half-century off 33 balls and guiding Sri Lanka over the line in a thrilling contest. Chamari Athapaththu’s side also bounced back strongly from their heavy defeat to England to keep their semifinal hopes alive. As for the White Ferns, they now need to win their remaining three matches to give themselves a realistic chance of securing a top-two finish.
KERR, DEVINE CARRY NEW ZEALAND
After opting to bat first, New Zealand posted a competitive 150/6, but the total ultimately proved insufficient against a spirited Sri Lankan chase. The White Ferns were put under pressure early when wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze fell for four in the opening over, leaving them at 4/1.
Captain Amelia Kerr and Georgia Plimmer then steadied the innings with a 49-run partnership for the second wicket. Plimmer made 18 before Kerr anchored the innings with a composed 45 off 36 balls, hitting five boundaries. Veteran all-rounder Sophie Devine added impetus in the middle overs with an aggressive 45 off just 30 deliveries, including four fours and a six.
Despite the efforts of Kerr and Devine, Sri Lanka’s bowlers struck at regular intervals to keep New Zealand in check. Kavisha Dilhari was the standout performer with figures of 2/35, while Mithali Ayodhya, Nimasha Meepage, Sugandika Kumari and Chamari Athapaththu claimed a wicket each.
Maddy Green’s unbeaten 18 off 13 balls provided a late flourish as New Zealand closed their innings in an impressive manner.
NILAKSHIKA TAKES SRI LANKA HOME
In the chase, Athapaththu set the tone with a brisk 27 off 19 balls, but New Zealand hit back through Nensi Patel, who dismissed Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama. Two run-outs further stalled Sri Lanka’s progress as they slipped to 105/5 after 15 overs.
With the match finely poised, Nilakshika Silva stepped up with a match-winning knock. The experienced batter remained unbeaten on 54 off 37 deliveries, striking five fours and a six. She received excellent support from wicketkeeper Kaushini Nuthyangana, who scored an unbeaten 24 off just 14 balls at a strike rate of 171.42.
The duo added an unbroken 48 runs for the sixth wicket, guiding Sri Lanka to a memorable five-wicket victory with two balls to spare. For New Zealand, it was a second successive defeat after their loss to the West Indies, leaving the defending champions staring at the prospect of an early exit from the tournament.
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