The home side led by skipper Suzie Bates dominated the three-match ODI series clinching it by a 2-0 margin. The White Ferns continued to suffer injury setbacks as the trio of Isabella Gaze, and Hayley Jensen, with hip flexor injuries and Bella James was ruled out due to a quadriceps injury. They were replaced by the wicket-keeper batter Poly Inglis, left-arm seamer Bree Illing, and all-rounder Flora Devonshire in the T20I squad for their ongoing white-ball series against the visiting Sri Lankan side led by the inspirational leader Chamari Athapaththu.
There were debutants galore as formats switched from ODIs to T20Is, with as many as 6 players making their maiden appearance in the T20I format.
New Zealand:
Bree Illing:
The 21-year-old youngster Bree Illing was called up as a last-minute replacement in the White Ferns T20I squad for their ongoing white-ball series against Sri Lanka. She recently made her international debut on 4th March 2025 in the first ODI in Napier. She has picked up four wickets in three innings with the ball in the ODIs.
She represented Auckland Hearts in the Women’s Super Smash, domestic T20 competition, and returned with 8 wickets at an average of 24.50 and an economy of 5.44 in 10 innings with the ball for her side in the tournament. She was expensive on her T20I debut returning with match figures (3-0-31-0) in her spell at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.
Emma McLeod:
The young 18-year-old all-rounder Emma McLeod was also a part of New Zealand’s squad in the 2nd edition of the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia. She scored 81 runs at a strike rate of 98.78 and an average of 16.20 in five innings with the bat for her side in the tournament.
McLeod made a notable impact representing Central Hinds in the 2024-2025 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield. She emerged as the second-highest run-scorer for her team, accumulating 300 runs across eight innings with a commendable average of 42.85. Her standout performances included two half-centuries, with a highlight being an unbeaten 68 off 99 balls on December 15, 2024, against the Canterbury Magicians.
She made her international debut for the White Ferns on 4th March 2025 in the 1st ODI of the ongoing bilateral white-ball series against Sri Lanka. She scored 10 runs in a couple of innings in the ODI series. She also went on to make her T20I debut today at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch in the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka. She chipped in with a vital contribution, scoring 44 (46 balls) and was the top run-scorer of the home side with the bat.
Izzy Sharp:
Another 20-year-old top-order batter and a wicket-keeper batter, Izzy Sharp represented Canterbury Magicians in the Women’s Super Smash, scoring 121 runs at a strike rate of 105.21 and an average of 13.44 in nine innings with the bat, which included a half-century to her name in the tournament. She was a part of the New Zealand ODI squad for the ongoing series against Sri Lanka. She finally went on to make her international debut today in the first T20I against the Chamari Athapaththu-led side at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch. She didn’t have a memorable debut as she was dismissed for a two-ball duck.
Polly Inglis:
The 28-year-old is an accomplished wicket-keeper batter at the domestic level, representing Otago Sparks. She showcased her prowess in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield for the 2024-2025 season. She amassed an impressive 340 runs across nine innings, maintaining a remarkable average of 42.50. Her notable achievements include two half-centuries, with her standout performance coming on February 22, 2025, against Central Hinds, where she hit 97 runs off just 89 balls.
In the Super Smash tournament, Inglis continued to impress, scoring 172 runs in 11 innings at an average of 28.66, contributing significantly to her side’s campaign. She recently made her international debut for the White Ferns in an ODI on 4th March 2025 against Sri Lanka in the 1st game of the ODI series in Napier. She wasn’t even a part of the T20I squad but was called in as a late replacement to join the set-up. She also went on to make her T20I debut today at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch, against Sri Lanka. The wicket-keeper batter couldn’t capitalise with the bat in hand, but was impressive with the gloves in hand, behind the stumps.
Sri Lanka:
Malki Madara:
The young 24-year-old medium pacer Malki Madara represented Sri Lanka Cricket President XI long ago. The youngster was handed her debut cap and she wasted no time in leaving her mark on her debut in the first T20I at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch against New Zealand. She delivered an impactful spell, returning with impressive match figures of 3.5-0-14-3, accounting for the wickets of the opposition skipper Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, and Emma McLeod on debut. She was also awarded the Player of the Match for her match-winning spell with the ball for her side, capping off a memorable day at the office for the youngster.
Manudi Nanayakkara:
The 17-year-old youngster, Manudi Nanayakkara is one of the most exciting, upcoming prospects in Sri Lankan cricket. Sri Lankan Under-19 skipper Manudi Nanayakkara showed promising form in the warm-up games, scoring 34 runs off 37 balls and 58 runs off 59 balls. In the 2nd ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup 2025 held in Malaysia, she effectively led the young team. During the tournament, Manudi contributed 72 runs across four innings, averaging 18. She also made a significant impact with her bowling, taking three wickets with an impressive average of 9.33 and an economy of 5.60 across three innings.
She went on to make her international debut for the senior Sri Lankan side in the 1st ODI on 4th March 2025 against New Zealand, in Napier. However, things haven’t gone Manudi’s way as she would have liked as she has returned with scores of 1, and 0 in a couple of innings in the middle order with the bat at the international level so far. She also made her T20I debut in the 1st T20I at Christchurch against New Zealand, but didn’t get an opportunity to showcase her skills in the shorter format for her side.
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