South Africa will aim to consolidate their third position in points table and make it 4 wins in a row when they face-off against Sri Lanka the co-hosts in Match 18 of this marquee tournament. This clash is set to take place at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. All eyes will also be on the sky as weather and rain is always a threat here and all cricket fans will be hoping that the rain stays away and we get a game in.
South Africa under Laura Wolvaardt have achieved a hat-trick of wins after losing their opener to England. They beat New Zealand easily before upstaging India and Bangladesh in thrilling run chases where Nadine de Klerk played blinders to bail her side out of trouble. Sri Lanka on the other hand, have got 2 points from two rain affected games and sit in 7th position in the points table. They started their campaign with a loss to India in Guwahati before their game against Australia was abandoned before a ball was bowled. They went down to tamely to England next. In their last game, they did well to post 258 against New Zealand but weather gods had other plans and forced the game to be washed out.
The stage is set for an interesting battle with important two points up for grabs for both teams looking ahead to the tournament.
Overview
The stage is set for a critical fixture in this tournament as the in-form South African side take on struggling co-hosts Sri Lanka at the R, Premadasa Stadium on Friday 17th October 2025. With South Africa eyeing a top-four finish and Sri Lanka yet to register a win, this clash will be crucial for both sides with important points up for grabs.
South Africa come into this game on the back of three consecutive victories that have revived their campaign after a slow start. Currently, Proteas have won three out of their four games in the World Cup so far. In their last outing, the Proteas edged past Bangladesh by three wickets in a tense finish. Chasing 233, South Africa were reeling at 78/5 before Marizanne Kapp (56) and Chloe Tryon (62) staged a gritty rescue act and stitched a crucial 85-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Nadine de Klerk’s composed late cameo ensured they reach the target in the last over. Earlier in the tournament, South Africa had pulled off another memorable win against India, where de Klerk’s unbeaten 84 off 54 balls guided them to victory in a high-pressure chase. With captain Laura Wolvaardt leading from the front, the recent results underline the team’s growing confidence and balance.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, continue to search for their first victory of the tournament. Out of the four matches so far, the side has lost two games, while the remaining two have yielded a no result because of rain. Their most recent fixture against New Zealand ended in disappointment after heavy rain forced a no result. Batting first, Sri Lanka posted 258/6 thanks to a fluent 55 not out from Nilakshi de Silva and well-composed 53 from captain Chamari Athapaththu, but the weather denied them a chance to defend the competitive total.
Sri Lanka have suffered two heavy losses at the hands of England and India, and would like to win this game at any cost, while South Africa will look to maintain their winning streak and strengthen their semi-final bid. The Premadasa pitch is expected to offer early assistance to batters, though spin could play a key role later in the day. However, the weather remains a concern in Colombo as several games hosted in this city have been rain-affected throughout this World Cup.
Only time will tell where Sri Lanka can defeat the Proteas side or not as the stage is set for an epic battle in Colombo weather permitting.
Head-T0-Head
South Africa and Sri Lanka have faced against each other in 25 fixtures with South Africa winning on 16 occasions and Sri Lanka on 6 occasions. 3 matches have ended in a No Result. In their last 10 clashes, it is 8-2 in South Africa’s favour with the Proteas winning the latest fixture in the Tri-series played out in May 2025.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch in Colombo is known for its even bounce and value for shots early on. Batters can capitalize during the first innings with the average score hovering around 288. However, as the match progresses, spinners are likely to play a significant role under the lights. Teams winning the toss might lean towards bowling first, looking to exploit early seam movement and chase under a more predictable pitch later in the evening.
As far as weather goes, rain continues to cast a shadow over this match as well. The forecast for matchday indicates scattered thunderstorms throughout the day, with temperatures near 29 degrees Celsius and 78% humidity. A light 16 km/hr breeze may assist swing bowlers during the powerplay. With a 50% chance of rain, fans and cricket lovers can only hope that the weather allows for a full contest after recent washouts.
Predicted/Probable Playing XIs of both sides
South Africa XI: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Annerie Derecksen, Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune.
Sri Lanka XI: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Vishmi Gunaratne, Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Piumi Badalge, Sugandika Kumari, Malki Madara, Inoka Ranaweera.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash
Laura Wolvaardt: South Africa’s batting revolves around their captain Laura Wolvaardt and her performances. It is not a one-woman army but the Proteas want and hope that Wolvaardt can give the team a good solid start at the top of the order. Opening the batting, she can lay the platform for the other players to finish things off. While others get the credit, it is Laura who is doing all the hard work and gets runs for her side at the top to kickstart the innings. She will be important in these conditions for sure.
Nadine de Klerk: The finisher Nadine de Klerk has come to the party for South Africa in the last two games to take her side over the line in tense chases. She has come out with the platform laid and drove home the advantage as the situation warranted a finish from the South Africans. She has played the role of finisher to perfection and also plays a role with the ball too and in the field. An all-round package, Nadine will be expected to do a job for the Proteas in this crucial clash.
Chamari Athapaththu: Sri Lankan cricket revolves around Chamari Athapaththu and her performances dictate how Sri Lankan cricket goes. Yes, there are others who have done well at times, but the biggest draw and name remains the Sri Lankan captain. She is handy with the ball as her spin bowling will come into play and then she is a bank with the bat. She has done well lately scoring 50s and driving Sri Lanka forward. A big one is definitely on the cards and she will be hoping it comes in this clash because the co-hosts are in must-win territory at this stage.
Inoka Ranaweera: Inoka Ranaweera has been on song in this tournament as she has taken wickets at regular intervals and gave a lot of joy to Sri Lanka. In the two completed games, she troubled India and England while against New Zealand she couldn’t bowl due to rain while the Australia game was totally called off. She is a quality player and will be hoping to do well as conditions will suit her in Colombo.
Key Records/Stats that we have to look forward to in this clash
- Chamari Athapaththu needs 12 runs to reach 4000 ODI runs and 4 wickets to reach 50 ODI wickets.
- Nilakshi de Silva requires 10 fours to complete 100 ODI fours.
- Hasini Perera needs 53 runs to reach 1000 ODI runs.
- Anneke Bosch needs 94 runs to reach 500 ODI runs.
- Sune Luus is 2 fours away from 250 ODI fours.
- Chloe Tryon is 1 four away from 200 ODI fours.
- Nonkululeko Mlaba needs 4 wickets to reach 50 ODI wickets.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the clash
For starters, let’s hope that rain does not play spoilsport and becomes the Player of the Match again and we get a game in. Assuming, we get a full game in, it will be fair to say that South Africa will start as favourites but only just because Sri Lanka are playing at home and these conditions will keep them interested. If South Africa crumble and are not at their best, then Sri Lanka might upstage them. But we will give a slight edge to South Africa today.
We shall see how things pan out later today and hope that the rain indeed stays away and we get a good game in.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Alyssa Healy’s Magnanimous Ton Floors Bangladesh