On Friday, October 17, South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by 10 wickets on DLS method, to register their fourth straight win in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2025 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
In a rail-curtailed 20 overs a side contest, South Africa restricted Sri Lanka to a below par total of 105 runs before their openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits made light work of the target calculated as per the DLS method.
Earlier, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu won the toss and decided to bat first on yet another gloomy afternoon in Colombo during the World Cup. She walked out to open the batting with Vishmi Gunaratne, but after sharing a 21-run partnership at the top of the order, the latter had to retire hurt and stretchered out in the fifth over after a throw hit her flush on the inside part of the knee.
Hasini Perera’s stay at the crease didn’t last for long, getting cleaned up by Masabata Klaas before the left-arm pacer trapped Athapaththu lbw for 11 off 25 in the 10th over of the Sri Lanka innings. When Sri Lanka reached 46/2 in 12 overs, rains made their way to the R Premadasa Stadium before halting play for over five hours, which made the officials reduce it to 20 overs a side.
In the last eight overs of their innings after the restart, Sri Lanka pushed up the scoring rate by putting together 59 runs with a key contribution from Gunaratne, who returned to the crease at the fall of the fourth wicket. She got 34 off 33 with six fours while Nilakshika Silva scored 18 off 17 with two fours as well, to help Sri Lanka reach 105/7 in 20 overs after Mlaba took three wickets for South Africa.
In pursuit of the 121-run target as per DLS method, South Africa opening pair of captain Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits brought intent to the middle with the bat straight away with the weather being unpredictable at the venue. These two batters scored 25 runs in four overs of the first powerplay before a 13-run over took them to 38/0 in five overs, and following that, they consolidated the South Africa innings.
Wolvaardt reached her fifty in just 41 balls in the 13th over before she and Brits completed the 100-run opening stand in the next over. And then, the 15th over saw her opening partner hit a six to finish the match off in style while going past the 50-run mark for the second time in the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
