SA W VS SL W MATCH 18

What's next, then? The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, 2025, is heading towards its business end, and the race to finish in the top four will get more and more spicy as chapter 19 of the tournament sees New Zealand Women facing off Pakistan Women, here, at the very R. Premadasa Stadium of Colombo. The weather will once again be the talking point as it continues to be overcast in the Sri Lankan capital. Let's hope that at least this time we get a complete game of cricket in this competition at this venue. That game will be played on Saturday, 18th October, and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 9.30 am GMT. Do join us for the pre-match buildup and analysis an hour earlier. Till then, it is a wrap from us. Take care!

Okay then, South Africa Women, with this win, go up to the second position, with 8 points. They are now knocking on the doors of qualification with four wins in a row. This one, though, was a much comprehensive one of all. They will stay in Colombo for their next game against Pakistan Women on Tuesday, 21st October. Can they make five wins in five? Only time will tell. Whereas Sri Lanka Women have a bit of back-and-forth traveling to do. They will fly to Navi Mumbai for their next fixture against Bangladesh Women on Monday, 20th October. They have two games remaining, and winning both of them is a non-negotiable to remain in the race.

The victorious skipper of South Africa Women, Laura Wolvaardt, walks up again to chat with Ian Bishop. She admits that she’s just relieved to finally get a game in the end. Says that it’s been a long and frustrating day, waiting around for nearly five hours as the rain kept teasing them. It literally stopped raining ten minutes before the cut-off, she says with a laugh, thankful that things worked out and they could get back on the field. Speaking about the opening partnership, she notes that it’s something the group has been talking about a lot, as they hadn’t had the best tournament as an opening pair so far, she admits, but adds proudly that putting up a 100-run stand today felt really nice. Spending time in the middle, she says, helped them settle in and find some rhythm as a unit. Laura goes on to mention that the team is still searching for that perfect game, as sometimes the top order has fired, sometimes the middle order, she explains, adding that the challenge now is for everyone to click together in the same match. Points out that death bowling has been an area of focus, because they’ve been a bit loose in those overs in previous games, she says, but it was good to see the bowlers closing things out better today. Wrapping up, she admits that it’s tough to stay switched on after such a long delay, but the group showed good composure to regroup quickly and get the job done.

The captain of Sri Lanka Women, Chamari Athapaththu, reflects on the defeat. She says they cannot control nature and admits that the results haven't gone their way. Adds that they have two games remaining and will try to come stronger and improved. Shares that they decided to bat first because they batted well against New Zealand, but points out that due to rain, the result didn't go their way. Details that it was very hard to grip and turn the ball, especially for the spinners. Stresses that as a team, they need to play a positive and fearless brand of cricket.

The skipper of South Africa Women, Laura Wolvaardt, is also adjudged the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for her impressive match-winning knock of an unbeaten 60 off 47 deliveries. She steps up with a smile and begins by saying that it feels great to finally get a game after all the waiting. Sitting around for four to five hours was frustrating, but in the end, she’s happy to walk away with two crucial points. Explains that the team approached the rain-shortened contest like a normal T20 game, aiming to get ahead early and not leave things too late. With high intensity and positive intent, they wanted to control the chase right from the start. Speaking about the conditions, she mentions that the ball felt like a bar of soap when they were bowling, making it tricky for the fielders and bowlers alike. However, once they began batting, the surface came on nicely, allowing the batters to play their shots freely. Reflecting on the bowling plans, she adds that their regular death bowlers were already done, so they had to trust the spinners at the end. She’s pleased with how they handled the pressure and executed their plans. Finally, Laura notes that captaining in a World Cup feels a bit different, with extra preparation and responsibility, but once she’s out in the middle, it’s all about watching the ball and striking it cleanly. Ends with a grin, grateful for the win and proud of the way her team responded under pressure.

... THE PRESENTATION CEREMONY ...

Earlier in the game, Sri Lanka Women opted to bat first. Vishmi Gunarathne began confidently but had to be stretchered off after taking a blow to her knee. Losing Athapaththu inside the Powerplay further dented their momentum during the rebuilding phase. They were 46/2 in 12 overs when rain interrupted play for over five hours. Once the match resumed, reduced to a 20-overs-per-side contest, Sri Lanka managed to add 59 runs in the final 8 overs, thanks to valuable contributions from Vishmi Gunarathne and Nilakshika Silva. Nonkululeko Mlaba starred with a superb three-wicket haul, while Masabata Klaas chipped in with a couple.

South Africa’s biggest concern coming into this game was their inconsistent opening partnership, a flaw that had often put pressure on their middle order. But in this game, the openers chose the perfect stage to set things right. With an average of just 11 prior to this match, and previous stands of 9, 26, 6, and 3, the numbers told their story. Yet, under challenging conditions and in a crucial contest, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits finally found their rhythm together. They timed this chase to near perfection and erased that flaw in style, making an absolute stroll in the park of this chase.

The urgency from the batters was clear, but adapting wasn’t as simple as it looked. Switching to T20 mode midway through an ODI demands a complete mental reset, from pacing an innings to attacking from the get-go. Timing, shot selection, and risk assessment all change in an instant, and doing that on a damp pitch with a wet ball makes it even trickier. And that is exactly what the Lankan bowlers struggled to do. They were wayward with their lines and lengths and couldn't string anything impactful.

Chasing a revised target of 121, the Proteas openers got off to a steady start. Timing the ball wasn’t easy early on, but Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits made sure there were no early hiccups. They added 25 runs in the four-over Powerplay, laying a solid platform for the chase. The damp conditions didn’t make things any easier for Sri Lanka, with all that moisture around, gripping the ball cleanly was a real struggle, only adding to their frustrations.

A statement win from the Proteas in Colombo. South Africa Women maintain their chasing track record intact as they have now won four matches on the trot while chasing in this World Cup. This is now their joint-longest winning streak in Cricket World Cup history. They had achieved a similar feat back in the 2022 edition, when they too strung together four consecutive wins. Tough luck for Sri Lanka Women. They just couldn't plug the flow of runs and were treated with an absolute batting masterclass from Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits. This is Sri Lanka's third defeat in this World Cup and their chances to qualify are now very bleak.

SIX! FIFTY FOR TAZMIN BRITS! Piumi Wathsala bowls it on a good length and keeps it outside off. Tazmin Brits advances down the track and heaves it powerfully over deep mid-wicket for a six. SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN WIN BY 10 WICKETS BY DLS METHOD!

EDGED, FOUR! Tazmin Brits moves to 49! Serves on a fuller length, on off. Tazmin Brits wildly swings across the line and gets a leading edge. The ball races between the keeper and the short third fielder for a boundary.

Back of a length, around off, Laura Wolvaardt stands tall and knocks it to deep extra cover for a single.

FIVE WIDES! Oh, dear! That has gone massively wrong. Piumi slips this way down leg. Laura Wolvaardt misses to flick, but the ball keeps sliding down leg and beats Anushka Sanjeewani's dive to her left. The ball races to the deep fine leg fence. Just 7 needed to win now.

Leg cutter, on a length, around off. Tazmin Brits shimmies ahead and pushes it down to long on for a single.

Piumi Wathsala is into the attack. She lands it full and on the middle stump line. Tazmin Brits whips it uppishly towards wide long on for a couple of runs.