In a match severely affected by rain, South Africa showed great determination and skill to come out on top against co-hosts Sri Lanka in a rain-affected game in Colombo. In a match that was reduced to 20 overs a side after a long delay, South Africa kept Sri Lanka down to a low score and then chased it down with ease. After losing the toss, South Africa restricted Sri Lanka to 105/7 in 20 overs with an all-round bowling display led by Nonkululeko Mlaba and Masabata Klaas.
Chasing a revised target of 121 in 20 overs, South Africa chased the target down in 14.5 overs with 0 wickets lost with captain Laura Wolvaardt remaining unbeaten on 60 off 47 balls while Tazmin Brits remained unbeaten on 55 off 42 balls. Sri Lanka were unlucky with the weather as they decided to bat despite knowing weather conditions. In the end, the team batting second got the advantage as South Africa climbed to second spot in the table with one foot in the door in semi-finals.
All-Round bowling display led by Nonkululeko Mlaba & Masabata Klaas restricted Sri Lanka to 105/7 in 20 overs
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Vishmi Gunaratne and captain Chamari Athapaththu came out to bat for Sri Lanka while Marizanne Kapp had ball in hand for South Africa. Gunaratne leaned forward with an open bat face and got it through cover point for the first boundary of the innings. Masabata Klaas got the ball in hand from the other end. Gunaratne pressed forward again and drove through extra cover and mid-off for a boundary. Kapp continued and bowled a decent over.
Klaas too kept things under check with a miserly over. Kapp missed her radar and gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side. Gunaratne was batting well on 12 but tragedy struck when while running for the single she was hit by a throw onto her knee at the bowler’s end and was in tremendous pain. She was stretchered off the field to get treatment. Later, she was deemed to come back as the injury was not serious. Hasini Perera came out to bat next.
Perera got off the mark with a boundary by caressing it through cover point region to get off the mark with a boundary. Kapp continued as Chamari broke the shackles by stepping out and carving it aerially over the top of backward point region for a boundary. Klaas then removed Perera for 4 off 7 balls with a boundary to her name. Klaas bowled a good length delivery around off angling in that pitched and straightened. Perera leaned forward and played down the wrong line and got beaten on the outside edge as the ball crashed onto the off-stump.
Harshitha Samarawickrama came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Kapp continued and bowled a maiden over. Chamari hung back to a length delivery and pulled it away over midwicket for a boundary as she completed 4000 ODI runs in the process. But Klaas had the last laugh as she got Chamari for 11 off 25 balls with 2 fours to her name.
Klaas from around the wicket bowled a good length delivery around off-stump pitched and jagged back in a shade. Chamari leaned forward to defend but got beaten on the inside edge and wore it high on the front pad. The ball hit the pad first and impact was umpire’s call. The review was retained but Chamari had to depart as Sri Lanka were 37/2 after 10 overs in what was then the conclusion of the first powerplay.
Kavisha Dilhari came out to bat next. Chloe Tryon was introduced after the powerplay as Dilhari climbed onto the width offered to rock back and cut it away past diving cover point for a boundary. Nadine de Klerk came onto the attack next and bowled a decent over as Sri Lanka’s score read 46/2 in 12 overs. This is where the drizzle became heavier and players walked off the field and for a long time we all though that was it. We walked off at 3:56 PM Local Time and rain finally relented past 8 PM Local Time. The groundsmen did really well to clear the ground and we got a start at 9:10 PM Local Time.
The game was reduced to 20 overs a side and powerplay for second innings was of 4 overs now. South Africa’s target would now be DLS adjusted. Play resumed with Nonkululeko Mlaba coming into the attack and Dilhari welcomed her with a maximum over deep square leg to make intentions clear. Nadine continued from the other end as Harshita was given a reprieve when Klaas at mid-off dropped the catch and hurt her hamstring as well. Nadine in the end got rid of Dilhari for 14 off 13 balls with one four and one six to her name.
Nadine bowled a good length delivery outside off-stump. Dilhari stepped out and looked to loft it over covers but failed to get it off the middle of the bat. As a result, she failed to get the required elevation and hit it straight to Wolvaardt who took a good catch after a bit of a juggle. Nilakshi de Silva came out to bat next. Mlaba struck next as she removed Harshitha for 13 off 24 balls. Mlaba bowled it short outside off-stump. Harshitha hung back and looked to pull it over midwicket but got a top edge. Wolvaardt inside the ring moved to her right watched it over her left shoulder and took a good catch with a dive.
Vishmi Gunaratne came back to bat again for Sri Lanka. She then used her feet and powered it straight back past the non-striker to long-on for a boundary. Sri Lanka were 71/4 in 15 overs. Chloe Tryon returned as Gunaratne hit her by going deep in the crease and cut it behind square for a boundary at backward point region. Nadine continued as South Africa wasted a review on Nilakshi for an LBW appeal. Nilakshi climbed onto de Klerk by hitting her for consecutive boundaries past short fine leg and short third fielder as well.
Mlaba came back to bowl another over as Gunaratne hit her for two consecutive boundaries one past the keeper and then beat deep square leg for a boundary. Nadine came to bowl the penultimate over as the 100 came up for Sri Lanka in 18.3 overs. After 19 overs, the score was 101/4. Mlaba was tasked to bowl the final over and she got rid of Nilaskhi for 18 off 17 balls with 2 fours to her name.
Mlaba tossed it up on the stumps, de Silva skipped down the wicket and heaved into the leg side. She didn’t get enough power behind it and found Bosch at deep midwicket who made no mistake. Anushka Sanjeewani came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Sanjeewani was then run out at the bowler’s end as one run was completed. She scored 1 off 1 ball. Piumi Badalge came out to bat at 8 but was at the bowler’s end with Gunaratne on strike.
Mlaba got rid of Gunaratne for 34 off 33 balls with 6 fours to her name. Mlaba bowled a flighted delivery on a length outside off-stump. Gunaratne rocked back and went for the cut and got a faint outside edge as Meso behind the stumps took a good catch. Sri Lanka finished with 105/7 in 20 overs. 10 extras given by the Proteas.
Nonkululeko Mlaba finished with 3/30 in 4 overs and was the pick of the bowlers. Masabata Klaas did damage at the top and finished with 2/18 in 5 overs. Nadine de Klerk chipped in with 1/23 in 4 overs. Marizanne Kapp chipped in with 0/14 in 5 overs. Chloe Tryon bowled 2 overs and gave away 13 runs. South Africa were now set a revised target of 121 runs in 20 overs.
Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits hammer Sri Lanka and takes their side over the line in 14.5 overs
Chasing a revised score of 121 in 20 overs, captain Laura Wolvaardt walked out to bat with Tazmin Brits while Sugandika Kumari had ball in hand for Sri Lanka. Kumari bowled an excellent first over. Malki Madara now had ball in hand from the other end. Wolvaardt got the first boundary away by coming down the wicket and lofted it nicely over mid-on for a boundary.
Wolvaardt took the attack to Kumari then by hitting her for back-to-back boundaries over wide mid-on and past the keeper as well. Madara continued and bowled a decent over. At the end of the 4 overs of powerplay under revised playing conditions, South Africa were 25/0. Inoka Ranaweera came into the attack next. Brits joined the party as she lofted the bowler by coming down the track over the bowler’s head for the maximum.
Chamari Athapaththu came into the attack next. She bowled a decent over. Wolvaardt kept the attack going against Ranaweera and lofted her over mid-off for a boundary. Brits survived a close run out scare as the 50 came up and of the partnership in 7.1 overs. Wolvaardt then played a trademark cover drive for a boundary to show her class. Kavisha Dilhari came into the attack next. Brits survived a close LBW call as Umpire’s call saved the batter. Brits then smoked the same bowler down the ground back over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Malki Madara returned to the attack and bowled a decent over as Sri Lanka reached 68/0 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the chase. Dilhari continued and bowled a decent over. Ranaweera bowled a decent over as well. Wolvaardt took the attack to Dilhari by stepping out and stayed leg side of the ball to drive it past long-off for a boundary. Wolvaardt then brought up her 37th half century by going down on one knee and slog swept it between deep midwicket and long-on for a boundary. She got there in 41 balls.
Brits took the attack to Dilhari by hitting her for consecutive boundaries down the ground for a boundary straight as an arrow. Chamari came back into the attack as Wolvaardt hit her opposite number past diving midwicket for a boundary as the 100 came up for South Africa in 13.1 overs.
The partnership also crossed 100 runs. Piumi Badalge came into the attack next. The bowler gifted 5 wides to the batting side. Brits then got an outside edge which raced away past the keeper and away to the third man fence.
Brits hit the winning runs and got to her fifty in style in 42 balls with a maximum off Badalge as she danced down the track and whacked it over wide long-on for the maximum. South Africa made it 4 wins in a row and climbed to second in the table. Wolvaardt was unbeaten on 60 off 47 balls with 8 fours to her name while Brits was unbeaten on 55 off 42 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes to her name. 10 extras given by Sri Lanka.
6 bowlers used by Sri Lanka but none of them could take a wicket and went for runs as well. So, South Africa win the game by 10 wickets and captain Laura Wolvaardt was awarded Player of the Match. South Africa almost through to the semi-finals.
What Lies Ahead.
The action continues in Colombo later today as New Zealand take on Pakistan in a crucial fixture for both teams more so for Pakistan later today on 18th October 2025 at 3 PM IST. There is rain threat in Colombo and one can hope the weather stays away. Let’s see how things unfold later today.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Alyssa Healy’s Match Winning Ton Gives Reality Check To Bangladesh