Nilakshik Silva’s unbeaten fifty leads Sri Lanka to famous win over New Zealand

Nilakshika Silva (X-Cricbuzz) Nilakshika Silva held her nerve with a brilliant unbeaten half-century as Sri Lanka cruised to a memorable five-wicket win over defending champions New Zealand in Group 2 of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at The Rose Bowl in Southampton on Tuesday.The win marked Sri Lanka’s first success of the tournament and gave their campaign a major boost, while New Zealand’s title defense suffered another devastating setback after a second straight defeat.Set a target of 151, Sri Lanka completed the chase with just one ball remaining. Silva anchored the innings brilliantly with an unbeaten 54 and found an ideal partner in Kaushani Nuthyangan, whose 24 put together helped the pair add an unbroken 48-run stand for the sixth wicket to steer their side home.Sri Lanka got off to a confident start thanks to captain Chamari Athapaththa. After surviving the first chance when she was on seven, the left-hander attacked and hit 27 off just 19 deliveries. However, her ejection at the end of the power play triggered a dramatic shift.New Zealand capitalized immediately as Sri Lanka slumped from 45/1 to 55/4. Vishmi Gunaratne managed 17, Harshitha Samarawickrama contributed five while Hasini Perera departed for two as the chase threatened to unravel.As the innings found itself at a crossroads, Kavisha Dilhari and Silva brought about a vital revival. The pair added 50 valuable runs to steady the chase and revive Sri Lanka’s hopes. Dilhari chipped in with 17 before being run out in the 15th over, leaving Silva with the responsibility of storming the line.The left-hander responded brilliantly. Along with Nuthyangana, she skidded the chase expertly during the closing stages. Sri Lanka needed 16 from the last two overs but the duo collected 11 runs in the 19th over to reduce the equation to just five from the last over. They then stayed calm under pressure to seal the victory with one delivery.Earlier, New Zealand posted 150/6 after electing to bat first. Their innings got off to a poor start when Isabella Gaze was dismissed for four in the opener.Georgia Plimmer scored 18 before sharing a 49-run partnership with skipper Amelia Kerr who once again led from the front. Hitting 45, Kerr looked set for a higher score before he was caught in the deep during the 13th over.Sophie Devine then tried to lift the scoring, contributing 45, while Maddy Green remained unbeaten on 18. However, Sri Lanka’s bowlers kept the pressure on and prevented New Zealand from taking full advantage during the second half of the innings.The Sri Lankan attack produced a disciplined collective display with five bowlers between the wickets. Kavisha Dilhari was a standout performer and finished with figures of 2 for 35 from her four overs as she played a key role with both bat and ball.After restricting New Zealand to 150/6 and then successfully chasing down the target with Silva’s match-winning knock, Sri Lanka celebrated a landmark victory that could prove crucial in their quest for a place in the knockout stages.Quick Score:New Zealand 150/6 in 20 overs (Amelia Kerr 45, Sophie Devine 45; Kavisha Dilhari 2/35) lost to Sri Lanka 153/5 in 19.4 overs (Nilakshika Silva 54* , Chamari Athapaththu 27; Nancy Patelets)