The Women’s Cricket World Cup match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka came to an untimely end on Tuesday as continuous rain forced its abandonment. Sri Lanka had put up a commanding total of 258 runs for the loss of six wickets, buoyed by Nilakshika de Silva’s spectacular, tournament-fastest half-century.
The relentless downpour during the innings break meant New Zealand couldn’t even begin their chase, leading to both teams having to settle for one point each.
Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat, Sri Lanka’s innings was anchored by a fantastic 101-run opening partnership between captain Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne. Athapaththu shone with a 53-run knock, featuring seven boundaries, before she was caught by Maddy Green off Rosemary Mair’s bowling. This marked her 20th One-Day International half-century.
Following Gunaratne’s dismissal for 42 runs, Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama stabilized the innings with a solid 58-run partnership off 74 balls. Perera contributed 44 runs, while Samarawickrama added 26.
However, the highlight of Sri Lanka’s innings was Nilakshika de Silva, who remained unbeaten on a blistering 55. She brought up her fourth ODI fifty in a mere 26 balls, an innings that included one towering six and seven fours.
For the New Zealand bowling attack, Sophie Devine was the standout performer, taking three wickets for 54 runs. Bree Illing also chipped in with two wickets for 39 runs.