In a tragic twist of fate, constant rain in Colombo resulted in the cancellation of the SL vs NZ Women’s World Cup match, both teams taking points. The outcome was a severe blow to New Zealand’s semifinal ambitions, as Sri Lanka were left disappointed after their best batting display of the tournament.
Sri Lanka’s Resilient Start in Colombo
Declaring first, Sri Lanka started the innings with positive intent. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu started from the front, hammering a quick 33 off 33 balls during the powerplay as Sri Lanka moved along at 52 for no loss in the first 10 overs. For her part, Vishmi Gunaratne found it hard to get going, taking 27 balls to reach ten.
Even though the New Zealanders began briskly, New Zealand tightened their grip in the middle overs. Athapaththu remained cool and composed to add her 20th ODI half-century, getting Sri Lanka to a fighting total.
New Zealand Fight Back with Key Wickets
The pressure turned a bit in favour of Sri Lanka after Sophie Devine disrupted the initial stand by sending Athapaththu back. Within minutes, Rosemary Mair sent Gunaratne back for a slow 42 off 83 balls to give New Zealand a foothold. Sri Lanka seemed destined for a solid finish at 183/2, but the Kiwis turned the screws hard and took them down to 198/5.
Nilakshi de Silva’s Late Blitz Transforms the SL vs NZ Innings
And just when Sri Lanka seemed to be losing, Nilakshi de Silva walked in in the 42nd over and changed the complexion of the game. Showing forthright stroke cricket from the very beginning, she hit a four off her second delivery and never let up.
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Her unbeaten 55 off 28 balls, with several boundaries in the last overs, drove Sri Lanka to a dominant 258/6 in 50 overs the top score mounted so far in Colombo during this tournament.
Rain Washes Out New Zealand’s Chase
With that strong total on the board and good performances in their last matches against India and England, Sri Lanka would have been confident of their first victory in the campaign. But relentless rain ensured that the second innings never got underway. The umpires had no option but to abandon the match, thus becoming the second rain-affected abandonment of the tournament.
Impact on Tournament Standings
For New Zealand, this washout result applies pressure as they will now have to work hard to qualify for the knockout stages, especially after two earlier losses. For Sri Lanka, the shared points are missed chances, especially after being in command of the batting display, led by Nilakshi de Silva’s heroic innings.
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