Match 19 of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 will feature yet another game at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo where New Zealand will aim for a full match and full points against a spirited Pakistan side who have shown great promise with ball in hand. Pakistan are all but out of tournament while New Zealand are competing with India possibly for a fourth spot. So, all to play for in this clash with rain on the radar as well.
New Zealand have got 3 points from 4 games with a win against Bangladesh only while their last game against Sri Lanka was washed out after the first innings. They need a full game and possibly a win as the win today will take them to 4th in the points table. Pakistan, on the other hand, are winless in this tournament and in the game against England, they were all set to win but weather gods had other plans and washed out the game after multiple interruptions. The stage is set for an interesting battle in Colombo.
Overview
It’s another World Cup game at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo as New Zealand takes on Pakistan in the 19th match of the tournament. The venue is set to host the 4th game in five days. All three previous matches were affected by rain, with only the game between Sri Lanka and South Africa managing a result in what was a 20-over per side contest in the end. This contest is also under a rain threat.
The White Ferns have had a mixed competition so far. They have played 4 matches so far and won only one with the victory coming against Bangladesh by 100 runs. They have lost to Australia and South Africa. They are coming off a rain-washed contest against Sri Lanka.
A decent bowling performance saw the Kiwis restrict the Lankans to 258/6 in 50 overs. Bree Illing who replaced the seasoned campaigner Lea Tahuhu in the playing XI, was only selected because she had a good match-up against opposition skipper Chamari Athapaththu and finished with a couple of wickets. It was their skipper Sophie Devine who picked up 3 wickets and was the star of the show. Rosemary Mair also chipped in with a scalp. However, the rain never allowed the players to take the field post the innings break, forcing both sides to share a point each.
Devine has almost been a lone warrior with the bat for the White Ferns. She has smashed 259 runs in 3 innings and has scored in excess of 50 in every knock. Now, the veteran has joined the wicket-taking party as well. With the race to the semis heating up, this is a crucial game coming up for the White Ferns. They are up against Pakistan and rain. Their last two games are against India and England.
On the other hand, Pakistan are right at the bottom of the points table. They, too, have played four matches, losing three to Bangladesh, India, Australia. Their most recent outing against England had no result because of relentless rainfall in Colombo. The Women in Green were in a strong position with their bowlers making the most of the seaming conditions, reducing England to 79/7 at one stage. Post that, there was a massive rain delay.
When the rain stopped and the ground was made ready for some action, the match was reduced to a 31 overs a side contest with England crawling to 133/9. Fatima Sana led from the front with figures of 4/27. Sadia Iqbal picked up two wickets. Diana Baig and Rameen Shamim picked up a wicket each.
Pakistan asked to chase down only 113 runs in 31 overs in what was a DLS adjusted target. Both the openers set the stage on fire with a quick start, adding 34 runs in 6.4 overs only to see the rain have the last laugh, taking away a golden chance to beat the English side. The Asian side has only one point in its kitty. They have three matches left in the round robin phase, and they have to get on the winning ways in order to stay alive in the tournament.
So, the stage is set for New Zealand, Pakistan and the rain to meet in Colombo. Both teams need a win and rain can play spoilsport. Let’s see if we can get a game in like yesterday.
Head-To-Head
The Head-To-Head between the two sides sees them having played 17 games against each other. New Zealand have won 15 of those clashes while Pakistan have won the remaining 2 matches. It is 8-2 in New Zealand’s favour in last 10 matches with the last game between the two sides ending in a tie with Pakistan winning in super over in December 2023.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch at the Premadasa Stadium rewards shot makers early on before gradually assisting spin as the match progresses. The average first innings total overall of 288 suggests a balanced wicket offering runs for those who apply themselves. Under light, we can expect turn and grip for spinners especially in the middle overs. Captains winning the toss may prefer to bowl first capitalizing on early movement and chasing under predictable evening conditions.
Rain continued to hover as a concern in Colombo, with light showers expected throughout the day. Temperatures will hover around 29 degrees Celsius coupled with 78% humidity and a 13 km/hr breeze ensuring some early swing. With a 50% chance of rain, brief interruptions are possible, though both sides will be hopeful for an uninterrupted contest after multiple weather-hit games.
Probable/Predicted XIs of both sides
Here, we will predict the probable playing XIs of both sides.
New Zealand XI: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (c), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze (wk), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Bree Illing, Eden Carson.
Pakistan XI: Muneeba Ali, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (c), Sidra Nawaz (wk), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sandhu.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash
Sophie Devine: The lone warrior for New Zealand in this tournament, captain Sophie Devine is doing all the heavy lifting in this tournament. She is scoring runs and in the game they didn’t bat she picked up 3 wickets. She is a champion cricketer playing in her last 50-over tournament and is leading the side from the front. She will want to excel and lead New Zealand in all departments of the game in this crucial clash for them.
Amelia Kerr: Amelia Kerr has blown hot and cold in this tournament. But she is a utility cricketer for New Zealand. She bats at 3 and hasn’t yet set the stage on fire with bat in hand. With the ball, she has managed to pick up wickets, but we know Amelia to be a big game player. With stakes high and crucial points up for grabs, she will be keen to do her bid in this game. With the match played in Colombo, expect some help for her and she might exploit that against a brittle Pakistan batting line-up.
Fatima Sana: Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana stepped upto the plate with ball in hand by picking up 4 wickets against England by bowling the nip backer. She showed her utility with the ball and has potential with the bat batting down the order. She can finish things off in style if needed and can be a dangerous player. Pakistan may be out of reckoning, but Fatima can spoil the party of New Zealand by leading from the front in this clash.
Sidra Amin: Pakistan’s best batter Sidra Amin has been in terrific touch in this tournament. Batting at the crucial Number 3 position, Sidra has played really well and showed her potential especially against India where she played a lone hand of 81 runs. She played decently against Australia as well. She will want to do well and score runs in order to help her side post a good total or chase a target down. Her role will be key in this match for sure.
Key Stats/Records that we may have to look out for in this clash
- Suzie Bates needs 75 runs to become only the second woman after Mithali Raj to reach 6000 ODI runs.
- Maddy Green requires 2 fours to complete 150 ODI fours.
- Brooke Halliday needs 5 fours to complete 100 ODI fours.
- Georgia Plimmer requires 69 runs to reach 500 ODI runs.
- Sidra Amin needs 10 fours to complete 250 ODI fours.
- Aliya Riaz is 4 fours away from reaching 150 ODI fours.
- Sidra Nawaz requires 33 runs to complete 500 ODI runs.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match
For starters, let us hope that the rain stays away and we get a game in. It is creating spoilsport in Colombo and the South Africa-Sri Lanka game almost got called off but we managed to get a 20-over game in. Let’s hope we get a game in. If we assume that we get the game in, New Zealand will start as favourites because of their all-round team and head-to-head record. But Pakistan will not give up without a fight with ball in hand. They will look to fight till the end and will get confidence from the performance against England where they played the better game.
Let’s see how things unfold and also pray that rain stays away because important points up for grabs with the semi-final race heating up as well. A point could be detrimental to New Zealand. Pakistan are almost out of reckoning. Hoping for a good game of cricket.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Rain Threat Looms Large Over South Africa & Sri Lanka Contest