Sri Lanka, led by skipper Chamari Athapaththu in search of their first win at Women’s World Cup 2025, were up against New Zealand, led by skipper Sophie Devine, in a home fixture in Colombo. Both sides were in a desperate search for victories to infuse momentum into the campaign in the ongoing 13th edition of the tournament.
Sri Lanka backed the youngsters Malki Madara and Piumi Badalage, as the duo replaced Dewmi Vihanga and Udeshika Prabodhani in the starting 11. The White Ferns, on the other hand, rested the experienced Lea Tahuhu, which meant another opportunity for the young left-arm seamer Bree Illing in the lineup.
Fifties from Chamari Athapaththu and Nilakshika Silva take Sri Lanka to 258
A clear change in tactic was evident from the home side as skipper Chamari Athapaththu won the toss and opted to bat first. The youngster, Vishmi Gunaratne, received a promotion as she made her way back to the opening slot, alongside her skipper. The move worked wonders as the duo stitched a massive 101-run opening stand, their best in the ongoing edition of the tournament, and overall, the 2nd-highest opening stand for them in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup.
The New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine took matters into her own hands, and she got the big scalp of her opposite number, Chamari Athapaththu (53 off 72 balls) in the 24th over of the innings to provide the much-needed 1st breakthrough for her side. The Sri Lankan skipper registered her first half-century in the ongoing edition of the tournament.
Hasini Perera joined Vishmi Gunaratne at the crease, and just when the duo were rebuilding the innings, with a 24-run stand for the 2nd wicket, Rosemary Mair delivered a perfect coaching manual delivery, hitting the top of the off-stump to send Vishmi Gunaratne (42 off 83 balls) back to the pavilion in the 29th over of the innings to provide the 2nd breakthrough for New Zealand.
Harshitha Samarawickrama joined Hasini Perera at the crease, and the pair took the innings deep with a gritty 58-run partnership for the 3rd wicket, which also took them closer to the 200-run mark. Bree Illing broke the stand, by sending Harshitha Samarawickrama (26 off 31 balls) back to the pavilion in the 41st over of the innings, providing a crucial 3rd breakthrough for her side.
Lower-order fireworks from Nilakshika Silva (55* off 28 balls) took the Sri Lankan total closer to the 260-run mark, as they finished their innings at 258/6 in their quota of 50 overs. She registered the fastest half-century in the ongoing edition of the tournament, off just 26 balls. Her knock included 7 boundaries and a maximum. Hasini Perera (44 off 61 balls) chipped in with a vital contribution with the bat for Sri Lanka.
New Zealand were sloppy in the field, as they missed a lot of opportunities, dropped a few catches and missed out on a few reviews that could have gone their way. Despite all that, skipper Sophie Devine (9-1-54-3) led the way with the ball, with her smart change of pace and accurate line and length targeting the stumps. The result? She returned with her best figures in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup. Bree Illing (7-0-39-2), Amelia Kerr (10-0-40-0), and Rosemary Mair (6-0-29-1) were impressive with the ball for New Zealand.
The rains arrived during the innings break, which robbed the fans and viewers of what could have been a close game, and the persistent and relentless nature of the rains ensured that we had the 2nd game washed out in Colombo in the ongoing edition of the tournament. Both sides shared a point each; Sri Lanka secured their 2nd point from a washout encounter, pushing them into a knockout situation. New Zealand moved to three points from four games.
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