Match 15, Colombo, October 14, 2025, 03:00 PM
Sri Lanka Women
258/6(50.0ov)
New Zealand Women
Rain stops play
Win Projections to be updated soonBatsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
Commentry
UPDATE -Â 1.29 pm GMT - It is absolutely pelting down now, but the good thing is that in this part of the world, the entire ground is covered, and the ground staff are currently in the process of doing just that. We have an hour's buffer time before we start losing overs. Stick around for further updates.
Game stopped due to : Rain Stoppage
UPDATE - 1.24 pm GMT - Oh, no! It has started to rain, and the covers are coming on. It has been raining at night in Colombo over the past couple of days, and while the grey clouds threatened to interrupt play during the first innings, it held up well. Let’s hope this passes quickly.
... THE RUN CHASE ...
New Zealand were far from their best with the ball and especially in the field. A couple of reviews that they might have taken in hindsight were missed, several catches were dropped, and there were lapses in ground fielding. They will need to put all of that behind them if they are to chase down 259. While the surface is not a belter, there is not a huge amount of turn either. There is enough to keep the spinners interested, and the Lankan spin attack will want to make the most of it. It remains to be seen if conditions ease under the lights, particularly with the potential for dew. Back in a bit for the chase.
Sri Lanka's Vishmi Gunarathne is up for a chat with Pommie Mbangwa. She says it is a good score as they got a few good partnerships in the middle. Shares that she was always reminding herself to play her natural game and stay calm. On the surface, she details that it is a good track to bat and stresses that the bowlers should bowl on good lines and lengths. Ends by appreciating Nilakshika Silva's cameo in the end and says that it helped them to post a good total on the board.
After the openers were dismissed, Harshitha Samarawickrama and Hasini Perera carried the momentum forward and waited for the right moment to accelerate. When Sri Lanka went on the attack, they experienced a brief wobble with a few quick wickets, but Nilakshika Silva remained unfazed and blazed her way to a 26-ball fifty, the fastest of this tournament, to provide the desired finish for her side. While the White Ferns showed inconsistency with their bowling discipline, their captain, Sophie Devine, shone through with an impressive three-wicket haul.
Whenever they overpitched, Chamari was quick to capitalise, while Vishmi Gunarathne, though scratchy at the start, grew in confidence as the innings progressed. The change in opening combination worked well for Sri Lanka, as the pair added 101 runs for the first wicket, though both batters had their share of luck with missed catches and run-out opportunities. None proved more costly than when Chamari, on 12, edged one behind to the keeper, but with no one apart from the keeper hearing it, the White Ferns opted against a review.
80 runs off the final 10 overs for Sri Lanka, and they will be quite happy with this score! The last 5 overs alone produced 47 runs, thanks largely to Nilakshika Silva’s flourish. It is only half the job done, but it is a job well executed. After the toss went her way, Chamari Athapaththu chose to bat first and put runs on the board. Sophie Devine did not mind the call, as New Zealand were keen to bowl first anyway. However, her pacers could not quite make the most of the swing available with the new ball.
In over# 50
1
4
4
4
2
1
Sophie Devine 54/3(9)
49.6
1
Short from Devine, on the bodyline, nipping in. Nilakshika Silva stands tall, waits for it to arrive and pulls it to deep square leg for a single. 16 off the final over. What a strong finish! SRI LANKA WOMEN FINISH ON 258/6.
49.5
4
FOUR! MORE RUNS! A Hat Trick of boundaries for Silva and frustrations multiplying for the White Ferns towards the backend. Slams it short into the deck, on the leg stump line, Nilakshika Silva pulls it powerfully to the leg side and bisects the deep square and deep mid-wicket fielders for a cracking boundary. 15 off the over already with a ball to go.
49.4
4
FOUR! FIFTY FOR NILAKSHIKA SILVA! This is the fastest fifty of the tournament so far, off 26 deliveries. She gets well ahead of Shorna Akter of Bangladesh, who scored a fifty off 34 balls the other night, against South Africa. Such a proactive innings from an experienced batter. Sophie serves it full and on the middle stump line. Nilakshika Silva clears the front leg and smashes it between deep mid-wicket and long on for a boundary. This also brings up the 250 for Sri Lanka Women, a figure that looked too far to reach at one stage.
49.3
4
FOUR! Precious runs these for Sri Lanka! A slower full toss, down leg, Nilakshika Silva shuffles well across off and powerfully sweeps it to the left of short fine leg for a boundary.
49.2
2
Slower delivery, on the leg stump line, Nilakshika Silva shimmies down the track and whips off the inside half of the bat, but gets it to the left of short fine leg. The fielder chases it before the ropes but the batters cross each other twice.
49.1
1
Full and on middle and leg, Anushka Sanjeewani clears the front leg and whips it over mid-wicket. The fielder in the deep collects it on the bounce. They cross.
In over# 49
0
1
2
1
2
1wd
1
Jess Kerr 34/0(7)
48.6
.
Very slow at 79.8 kph, full and outside off, Nilakshika Silva gets low for a big-booming slog sweep, but swings way early and inside edges onto the front pad. 8 runs off the penultimate over.
48.5
1
Back of a length, on off, Anushka Sanjeewani pulls it between long on and deep mid-wicket for a single.