South Africa rose from a shaky tournament start to sweeping to an almost certain semi final berth upstaging England to No 2 of the points table of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in burying Sri Lanka’s remote outside last four hopes of the tournament in a DLS rain reduced 20 over decider thrashing a hapless Lankan attack to reaching a revised target of 125 off 14.5 overs after their spin-pace duo is of 3 wicket Nonkululeko Mlaba and 2 wicket Masabata Klaas had run holes in the Lankan batting yesterday at Colombo’s R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
The South African openers set about making light of the target led by skipper Laura Wolvaardt a typical leader thrust Player of the Match 60 off 47 balls, and Tazmin Brits 55 off 42 against a wavering Lankan attack put off by the prevailing wet conditions in gripping the ball setback.
Sri Lanka’s decision to bat first hit a disaster trail in the face of the testing pace of Masabata Klaas whose two wickets for 18 runs included that of the prize wicket of the Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu trapped plumb leg before wicket, and No 3 Hasini Perera bowled for 4 while the wily spinner Mlaba was key to the victory in a superb tournament run.
Only opener Vishmy Gunaratne reached a substantial 34 despite an injury setback with the next highest being Nilukshi Silva 18 in that debacle after the umpires confined the game to 20 overs.
It was triggered by the loss of l Hasini Perera 4, Skipper Chamari Atapaththu 11, Kavishka Dilhari 14, Harshitha Samarawickrama 13, Nilakshika Silva 18, and Anushka Sanjeewani who ran herself out for 1 by lazily turning back for a second run while Gunaratne seventh out with the score 105 for 7.
South Africa 121 for 0 (Wolvaardt 60*, Brits 55*) beat Sri Lanka 105 for 7 (Gunaratne 34, Mlaba 3-30, Klaas 2-18) by ten wickets (DLS method)
20-overs-a-side