Nilakshi de Silva batted like a women possessed and a point to prove as her unbeaten half-century powered Sri Lanka to a competitive 258/6 in 50 overs. Nilaskhi de Silva came down the order and batted like a dream and powered the innings towards the end. Her half-century alongside Chamari Athapaththu’s 53 and a couple of 40s from Vishmi Gunaratne and Hasini Perera took Sri Lanka past 250 in 50 overs.
For New Zealand, Sophie Devine was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/54 in 9 overs. Bree Illing supported her with figures of 2/39 in 7 overs. Rosemary Mair had figures of 1/29 in 6 overs. The Kiwis did well to pull things back a bit, but 258 was a very good score batting first.
Vishmi Gunaratne & Chamari Athapaththu gives Sri Lanka a solid start in powerplay.
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Vishmi Gunaratne and Chamari Athapaththu came out to bat for Sri Lanka while Bree Illing had ball in hand for New Zealand. Chamari got the first boundary of the innings as she leaned forward and drove the ball through the covers for a boundary. Rosemary Mair came out to bowl from the other end. Mair bowled a decent over. Illing continued and kept things under check. Mair too bowled a tight over.
Chamari broke the shackles as she caressed Illing through the covers for a boundary. Mair should have had Chamari gone caught behind. The umpire said no and Devine decided not to review. Big opportunity missed. Chamari added salt into the wounds by lofting it over the infield. She got it through cover point region. Illing continued as Chamari pressed forward and got to the pitch of the ball and drove it through the cover point region for a boundary.
Eden Carson was introduced into the attack as spin was introduced in the powerplay. Gunaratne broke the shackles as Carson bowled a juicy full toss way outside off-stump. Gunaratne reached for it and drove it through the covers for a boundary. Jess Kerr has been introduced into the attack now. She bowled a wide and then Chamari showed her class by hitting Jess Kerr for two consecutive boundaries. The first one was caressed through the covers for a boundary. This time she hit the pitched up delivery around 5th stump line swinging away. Athapaththu looked to push the pressure back to the bowler. Chamari hit Jess Kerr for back-to[back boundaries. Carson came back into the attack.
Over the wicket from Carson as flicked it away outside off-stump that turned back in. Gunaratne tucked it to deep backward square leg single as the 50 came up in the 11th over. At the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka were 52/0
Sri Lanka drive home the advantage even as Chamari Athapaththu falls after scoring 50.
Jess Kerr continued after the powerplay as Gunaratne survived a run out check. Carson bowled another quiet over and kept things tight. Kerr kept things under check as well. Carson also did not give anything away. Amelia Kerr came into the attack for the first time today. She bowled a quiet over as Sri Lanka reached 66/0 in 15 overs when Drinks was taken by the umpires.
Carson continued as Chamari survived a run out check as the direct hit would have been the end of her. Amelia continued. She thought she had Gunaratne LBW, but the batter reviewed and got the decision overturned in her favour. Carson continued as Gunaratne broke the shackles by pulling it to square leg for a boundary. Amelia continued and bowled another decent over.
Captain Sophie Devine came onto bowl next. Devine dropped a catch of Gunaratne of her own bowling. Devine started well as the score read 87/0 in 20 overs for Sri Lanka. Amelia continued and bowled another decent over. Chamari broke the shackles as she hit a delightful stroke off Devine. Devine bowled a back of a length delivery outside off-stump. Athapaththu got on top of the bounce and punched it beautifully between backward point and boundary. Chamari brought up her 20th half-century in 67 balls.
Devine was watchful throughout. Amelia had a catch dropped as well with Bates putting down a sitter and conceding a brace as the batter got a reprieve. The 100 came up for Sri Lanka in 22.5 overs. Devine broke through for New Zealand as one captain got the better of the other for 53 off 72 balls with 7 fours to her name. Devine from around the wicket bowled it full outside off-stump rolling her fingers on this one. Chamari threw her hands on seeing the width and ended up slicing it. Green stationed in the deep covers region took the catch. Hasini Perera came out to bat next.
Devine bowled a maiden wicket over to Devine. Amelia Kerr continued and kept things tight as India reached 103/1 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings and are on course at this stage to score a good total.
Gunaratne falls for 42; Sri Lanka surge ahead and keep the momentum going till 40 overs.
Devine continued and bowled a miserly spell. Rosemary Mair came back into the attack as Gunaratne broke the shackles as she shimmied down the track and heaved it to the leg side between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Devine continues as Perera got an inside edge past the stumps and away for a boundary at fine leg region. Mair continued as Perera helped the poor ball as he helped it on its way for a boundary. Mair hit back and got rid of Gunaratne for 42 off 83 balls with 3 fours to her name.
Mair bowled a good length delivery around off-stump and got it to skid off the surface. Gunaratne played leg side of the ball and tried to cut it but missed. The ball hit the top of off-pole. Harshitha Samarawickrama came out to bat next. She got off the mark soon. Maddy Green was introduced in to the attack as she bowled a tight over. Sri Lanka were now 131/2 in 30 overs.
Carson continued as Hssini slashed hard and threw her hands at it and slashed it away to short third man for a boundary. Drinks was taken at 138/2 in 31 overs. Green continued as Samarawickrama pressed forward and drove it through the covers for a boundary to sweeper cover. Carson bowled a decent over. Jess Kerr came back and continued to bowl a miserly over. Amelia Kerr came back into the attack as the 150 came up for Sri Lanka in 34.2 overs. Harshitha slashed it to short third man. The ball ran away to the right of Jess Kerr to the deep third man fence for a boundary. Jess Kerr bowled a quiet over.
Amelia continued as Hasini played an innovative reserve fitness to get it to short third man fence for a boundary. Jess Kerr continued as Perera removed Perera dismissed her on 1 unbeaten. Perera cut it away past deep backward square for a boundary. Illing continued and kept things tight here. Rosemary Mair came back into the attack as the 50-run stand came up between the two members. After 40 overs, Sri Lanka were 178/2.
Nilakshi de Silva’s unbeaten whirlwind half-century powers Sri Lanka to 258/6 in 50 overs.
Perera cut Illing past backward point for a boundary. Illing got rid of Samarawickrama for 26 off 31 balls with 2 fours to her name. She bowled short of a length delivery in the channel outside off, Harshitha hung back and looked to cut it square of the wicket and got an outside edge where Gaze behind the stumps took the sharp catch. Kavisha Dilhari came out to bat next. Devine returned to the attack as Dilhari slogged her away to deep square leg for a boundary.
Devine hit back getting rid of Dilhari for 4 off 4 balls with a boundary to her name. Devine bowled a slower delivery outside off-stump on a good length. Dilhari looked to lift it over mid-off but got it right off the toe end of the bat and offered a simple catch to Bates who took the catch. Nilakshi de Silva came out to bat next and got off the mark with a delightful boundary as she charged down the track and lofted it over wide mid-on for a boundary. She completed 1000 ODI runs as well.
Silva hit Illing by going deep in the crease and slogged it handsomely over midwicket for a boundary. Illing then removed Perera for 44 off 61 balls with 6 fours to her name. Illing bowled it a little fuller than good length outside off-stump. Perera planted her front leg and went for a drive away from her body. She got an outside edge through to Gaze who dived to her left and took a good catch. Piumi Badalge came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary by squeezing it behind square for a boundary. The 200 came up for Sri Lanka in 43 overs.
Devine bowled a quiet over. Amelia Kerr came back to bowl the next over. She too kept it under check as Sri Lanka were 211/5 in 45 overs. Nilakshi was dropped by Gaze off Carson, a tough chance at that. Nilakshi made them pay as she used her feet and danced down the track to come to the pitch of the ball and lofted it over wide long-off for the maximum.
Amelia continued as de Silva swept it hard towards deep backward square leg as Halliday overruns the ball and concedes extra runs. De Silva reverse scooped Devine past the keeper through short third man for a boundary. Devine then removed Badalge for 7 off 15 balls with one four to her name. Devine bowled short of a length delivery on off-stump. Badalge gave herself some room and looked to lift it over covers but got a thick outside edge that settled in the hands of Illing at short third man. Anushka Sanjeewani came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Jess Kerr came to bowl the 49th over and bowled a decent over. Devine came to bowl the final over of the innings. Nilakshi took on Devine and hit her for two consecutive boundaries to short fine leg and then through deep midwicket and long-on for a boundary as she reached her fifty in 26 balls, the fastest World Cup fifty this edition. The 250 came up for Sri Lanka. Nilakshi made it a hat-trick of boundaries by swivelling and pulling it hard behind square for a boundary between deep square and deep fine leg. Sri Lanka finished with 258/6 in 50 overs with Nilakshi remaining unbeaten on 55 off 28 balls with 7 fours and a maximum to her name while Sanjeewani had 6 off 6 balls to her name. 21 extras gifted by the White Ferns.
Sophie Devine was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/54 in 9 overs. Bree Illing chipped in with 2/39 in 7 overs. Rosemary Mair chipped in with 1/29 in 6 overs. The rest of the bowlers went wicketless this afternoon. It meant New Zealand needed 259 to win this match.
What Lies Ahead for both teams.
Sri Lanka have got runs on the board and New Zealand will have to bat well to win this one. But here’s the twist during the mid innings break, the rain came in and a storm hit Colombo which threatens to abandon the match. Chances of play looks bleak and both teams may get one point each. Let’s see how it goes.
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