For nearly five hours on Friday, it looked like rain would be the winner at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Only 12 overs had been bowled in Sri Lanka’s batting innings but with barely any time left for the cutoff to have a 20-over-a-side contest, the players made their way to the middle at around after 9 pm IST. Any more rain, then it was going to be a fourth washed out game at the venue. But the weather was kind to South Africa, who continued their red-hot streak at the ICC Women’s World Cup to make it four wins in a row.
After that nightmare start against England – bowled out for 69 in Guwahati and then losing by 10 wickets – the 10-wicket win against Sri Lanka bookends their resurgence nicely. And for the third time in the tournament, South Africa finished a run-chase with a six, the most ever by any team in the history of women’s ODI World Cups.
South Africa moved up to second in the table, with one feet in the semifinals. With this win, South Africa now have eight points from five matches and need just one more to clinch a place in the top four.
Chasing a revised total of 121 from 20 overs, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits put on an unbeaten stand of 125 to seal the victory. It meant South Africa checked off one more item on their list of things to get right, as the two in-form batters coming into the tournament, hadn’t fired in unison.
Earlier, Sri Lanka had made 105 for seven from their 20 overs after resumption of play, Vishmi Gunaratne top-scored, having retired hurt earlier in the innings, as she made 34. Nonkululeko Mlaba was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa, taking three wickets including two in the final over to keep the Sri Lankan total down.
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first, following their impressive performance with the bat last time out against New Zealand in a match that was washed out. They were dealt an early blow when Vishmi Gunaratne retired hurt for 12 in the fifth over after she was caught on the inside of the knee by an errant throw from the field.
South Africa took their first wicket in the eighth over, Hasini Perera seeing her off stump removed by Masabata Klaas as she departed for four. Klaas (2/18) then secured the prize wicket of Chamari Athapaththu leg before for 11, leaving Sri Lanka in trouble at 37 for two. From there, two more overs of play were possible before the rain came down at the end of the 12th over with Sri Lanka on 46 for two.
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The players returned for what was now a 20-over game, with Kavisha Dilhari marking the return with a six over backward square. She fell at the end of the following over, picking out Wolvaardt off the bowling of Nadine de Klerk for 14. The South African skipper made it two catches in as many balls when she snagged Harshitha Samarawickrama off the bowling of Nonkululeko Mlaba for 13 with the first ball of the following over.
Gunaratne then returned, joined by in-form Nilakshika Silva with the pair adding 40 for the fifth wicket. Mlaba finished with a flourish though, removing both set batters in the final over as Silva was caught by Anneke Bosch for 18 and Gunaratne fell caught behind for 34 off the final delivery. In between those, Anushka Sanjeewani was run out by replacement fielder Bosch for one as Sri Lanka finished on 105 for seven.
Set a target of 121, South Africa flew out of the blocks with Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits racing to a fifty partnership in the eighth over. Brits survived a run-out chance and an LBW appeal in successive overs before the pair picked up the pace with the captain reaching her half-century in the 13th over. Her opening partner followed suit and sealed the win with a six, bringing up her fifty in the process.
South Africa will now remain in Sri Lanka ahead of their clash with Pakistan, while the Sri Lankans take on Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai in India.
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Brief scores: Sri Lanka 105/7 from 20 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 34, Nonkululeko Mlaba 3/30) lost to South Africa 125/0 from 14.5 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 60*, Tazmin Brits 55*) by 10 wickets (DLS method).
