SRI LANKA STUN NEW ZEALAND IN A WONDERFUL CHASE

ICC 10th WOMEN's WORLD CUP - Match 7 – Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Southampton on 16 June 2026

Result – Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 5 wickets
Points – Sri Lanka 2(2), New Zealand 0(0)
Toss – New Zealand
Umpires – V Gayathri, Kerrin Klaste, Vrinda Rathi (TV)
Player of the Match – Nilakshika Silva
Match Centre Link - You can view the scorecard, watch highlights and engage more at Match Centre of ICC. The match can be accessed here. 

NEW ZEALAND INNINGS

A TRICKY START
The 7^th match of the 10th Womens T20 World Cup featured defending champions New Zealand and Sri Lanka, both trying to score their first points in the tournament. New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first. Issy Gaze & Georgia Plimmer opened the batting while Mithali Ayodhya opened the bowling. Mithali started with a dot, bowled a full toss that went for a boundary and had Issy nick one to keeper Kaushini Nuthyangana who took a brilliant catch. A lot of action was already happening in the first half of the first over. The second half of the first over went quiet and so did the first half of the second over. Sri Lanka missed a run out opportunity of Melie Kerr in the 3^rd ball and Georgia Plimmer celebrated it with a boundary of the 4^th ball. Mithali impressed again conceding just 3 runs in the 3^rd over. Kawya Kavindi bowling from the other end also kept the NZ batters at bay. Skipper Melie decided to go hard in the 5^th over bowled by Mithali and found 2 boundaries in 2 balls to give NZ some respite. Sri Lanka decided to close the power play with spin and brought in Sugandika Kumari. She had Georgia in some trouble forcing her to play a hatrick of dots & . Georgia just managed to avoid a stumping. Georgia had the last laugh though coming down the pitch on last ball for a boundary. Nonetheless NZ didn’t look impressive at 38/1 after power play. 

SLOW DOWN IS THE SHOWDOWN
Skipper Chamari Athapaththu bowled the 7^th over and engaged in a duel of captains with Melie. There was no drama as she rushed through a 5 run over. Sugandika continued from the other end and bowled one loose delivery which was hoisted over cover for a boundary by Melie. Nimasha Meepage was the 5^th SL bowler of the innings as she bowled the 9^th over. She got instant success as she had Georgia eding one to Hasini Perera at short third. Sophie Devine came in at 4 and started with a four first ball. Nimasha then kept the legends Sophie & Melie at bay for the next 4 balls. Kavisha Dilhari bowled the 10^th over and gifted a short ball each to Melie and Sophie and the result was 2 boundaries. NZ were 73/2 at half way mark and needed this duo to go all guns blazing.

Sri Lanka banked on spinners. While Chamari’s 11^th over cost 12 runs, Nimasha spun things back with a 6 run 12^th over. Kavisha was entrusted the 13^th over. In the 2^nd ball, Melie was nearly caught at deep midwicket but Kawya messed the catch and gifted a four. The next ball, Kavisha bowled fuller and a little wider and Melie went to the area again and Kawya got her catch and Melie went 5 short of 50. Brooke Halliday joined Sophie Devine in the middle. Nimasha once again bowled beautifully and conceded just 3 runs in the 14^th over. Even as NZ reached their hundred in 14 overs, Sophie & Brooke needed to get going. Kavisha got some action in the 15^th over. In the 3^rd ball she appealed for an LBW and I thought umpire Gayathri raised her hand but she didn’t declare out. There was a louder appeal in the 4^th ball and it was rejected by the umpire and the DRS. In the 5^th ball, Brooke gave the fielder at short fine leg a chance but she misjudged the catch and gifted Brooke a boundary. In the last ball, there was another appeal, this time for caught behind. The umpire was not convinced and gave a wide. Sri Lanka reviewed the decision and DRS confirmed that Brooke indeed had a faint edge. Nimasha bowled another good over and despite a powershot from Devine that went for a boundary conceded just 8 runs. New Zealand were 117/4 after 16. They had two experienced pros Sophie and Maddy Green to stare at the death overs and anything less than 150 would be advantage Sri Lanka.

A TIGHT END
Kavisha came in to bowl the 17^th & Maddy launched a boundary straightaway. Kavisha came back well conceding just 5 singles of the next 5 balls. Maddy greeted Sugandika with a first ball boundary as well. Sophie brought the 1^st sixer in the 5^th ball as she swung one over mid wicket with so much power. Like for most of New Zealand innings, a boundary led to a wicket as Sophie failed to clear a nearly wide ball  and found Hasini at long on. NZ were 139/5 with 2 overs to go and Maddy in company of Issy Sharp had to go mad but sharp. Chamari bowled a peach of a penultimate over giving just 4 runs and taking wicket of Issy Sharp caught by the keeper off a top edge. Mithali came in to finish the innings and didn’t concede a single extra or boundary as NZ could only pick 7 runs. NZ ended the innings at 150/6 and Sri Lankan bowlers did a great job in the death overs and a good job overall.

SRI LANKA INNINGS

LATE TO THE PLAY
Vishmi Gunaratne & Chamari Athapaththu representing 2 generations of SL batting opened the innings as it was a Rose bowling start at Rosebowl, Southampton. Rose Mary Mair began with a maiden over as the only run SL scored was a leg bye. Bree Illing continued well from the other end and just gave 3 runs in the 2^nd over. Chamari hoisted Rose over mid wicket for a boundary in the 1^st ball of the 3^rd over. But Rose conceded just 2 more in the next 5 balls. With SL scoring only 10 in 3 overs, the head start required for the chase was eluded by NZ. Bree conceded a boundary to Vishmi in the 2^nd ball and was unfortunate as Georgia dropped a sitter of Chamari in the last ball. Yet it was once again a 6 run over only and SL at 16/0 in 4 achieved a square equation and looked quite away from squaring the match equation. Jess Kerr’s 5^th over provided the much needed momentum. After 16 runs in 4 overs, they scored 16 of the 5^th over alone as Chamari started with a sixer and had back to back boundaries. Vishmi began the 6^th over bowled by Bree with back to back boundaries. Chamari had one in the 4^th ball as well and just when SL turned the tables on NZ, Bree beat Chamari for pace in the 5^th ball and had her bowled. Despite Chamari’s wicket SL closed power play at 45/1. They came late to the power play. But better late than never.

EVENLY POISED
Nensi Patel brought in spin to the attack and once again had a tough return catch of Harshitha Samarawickrama in the 3^rd ball. However she got Vishmi miscue a sweep and Georgia made amends by taking an unconvincing but much needed catch. At 49/2 after 7, NZ were still dealing with squares. Sri Lanka’s Ha-Ha combo of Harshitha and Hasini Perera had their task cut out. Skipper Melie brought her in and it was spin from both ends. After just 3 runs from the first 5 balls, NZ had Hashini run out as he she went in chase of an elusive second run. The change from pace to spin changed the fortunes for NZ and Nensi had Harshitha edging one back to the stumps to reinforce the statement. Melie bowled out another quick and cheap over and Bree dropped a sitter of Nilakshika Silva. Even as the dropping bug continued to haunt NZ, Sri Lanka had a lot of catching up to do as they needed 90 from the next 10.

Nensi & Melie continued from both ends and despite Nensi conceding a boundary to Kavisha Dilhari, the duo in their combined six overs spun NZ back into the game with combined figures of 6-0-30-4. A bowling change with Sophie Devine came in to bowl the 13^th over and she conceded a boundary each to Kavisha & Nilakshika and a total of 11 runs. Jess Kerr came around for the 14^th and Nilakshika found a boundary and SL: found 8 runs. Rose came in to bowl the 15^th and Nilakshika converted her 3^rd ball into a sixer with a wristy flick over mid wicket. The last ball was a terrible mix up in search of a quick second and eventually Kavisha sacrificed her wicket to save Nilakshika. Kaushini joined Nilakshika and when Nency wrapped up her final over quickly, SL were 112/5 and still needed 39 from 24. NZ just needed to keep a cool head and a couple of wickets would derail SL innings. However Nilakshika and Kaushini had the outside chance of completing a historic chase if they kept their cool and kept up with the required rate.

A HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT
A mild drizzle brought in DRS possibilities as Bree came back to bowl the 17^th over. Nilakshika scooped the 4^th ball over short fine leg for a boundary. Kaushini pulled the final ball of the over well into the gap between deep mid wicket and long on. The 11 run over gave SL some confidence and they were in the par score as per D/L method as well. Melie came in to bowl the 18^th & Nilakshika found a boundary in the off side of the 3^rd ball and one in the leg side of the last ball. A 12 run over ensured that the target was 16 runs from 12 balls. Suddenly it seemed Advantage Sri Lanka. Rose began the penultimate over with a couple of singles. Nilakshika completed a 33 ball 50 fifty in the 2^nd ball but the celebrations were a little away. Rose then bowled on the slot to Kaushini who slammed it towards long on boundary. When Rose followed the delivery with a wide one, the nerves on NZ were showing. Kaushini & Nilakshika ran hard to complete 4 runs in the next 3 balls. SL needed just 5 from the final over & grand old Sophie had one more chance to create history. But Sri Lanka had a better chance at history securing a first WC win against New Zealand & their 10^th WC win overall. Sophie just conceded 3 of the first 3 balls. After the last match against WI, NZ did better by placing fielders to stop the single. After a long discussion and change in field placements, Sophie strayed one down the leg side and Kaushini happily steered it over the on side for a four through the square leg. Kaushini & Nilakshika had pulled off this chase and within moments SL players were on the field to hug the duo. The rain just intensified and I heard the sounds of Lagaan in my mind. Sri Lanka went Chale Chalo even as the skies went Ghanan Ghanan.

(Images Courtesy - ESPN Cricinfo)