South Africa continued their impressive run in the Women’s World Cup, crushing Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in 31 balls at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, October 17. In another rain-affected encounter, the Proteas claimed their fourth straight win after a shaky start to the tournament in which they lost just 69 wickets to beat England by 10 wickets.
The win moved South Africa to second place in the points table. With eight points and a net rate of -.440, they strengthened their chances of advancing to the semifinals. For Sri Lanka, the loss is a winless contest and they need to win both their remaining matches to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Gunaratne, Mlaba shine
After Sri Lanka chose to bat first, Sri Lanka’s innings got off to a shaky start Vishmi Gunaratne was hit by a hard throw on her left knee from halfway and had to be stretchered off the pitch. Her replacement, Hasini Perera, failed to impress, with Masabata Klaas bowling just four for her.
Sri Lanka Vs. South Africa, the best of the Women’s World Cup
Chamari Athapaththu’s indifferent run of form continued when she fell to Klaas for 11. At 46 for two in the 12th over, rain again interrupted play in Colombo, a recurring feature of the tournament, halting play for five and a half hours before action resumed at 21:10 IST.
With the match reduced to 20 overs a side, Kavisha Dilhari (14) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (13) put on a handy 26-run partnership for the third wicket, but both fell in quick succession – Dilhari to Nadine de Klerk and Samarawickrama to left-arm Nonkululeko Mlaba.
Showing remarkable courage, Vishmi returned to bat and top-scored for Sri Lanka with a vital knock of 34 runs, helping the team cross the 100-run mark. Nilakshi de Silva contributed 18 with an opening cameo, taking Sri Lanka to 105 for seven. Mlab was picked by the South African bowlers with figures of 4-0-30-3 while Marizanne Kapp was wicketless.
Wolvaardt, the British make it easy
Chasing a revised target of 121 under the DLS method, South Africa got off to a positive start. Laura Wolvaardt looked in complete control, using her feet effectively as the Proteas raced to 25 for no loss in the powerplay. She opened with a sharp edge over medium Malki Madara in the second over, followed by back-to-back fours against Sugandika Kumari in the next. Wolvaardt ensured that Sri Lanka had no breakthroughs, something they desperately needed to make a comeback.
Tazmin Brits, who came under pressure after back-to-back ducks against India and Bangladesh, regained her confidence with a towering six over the head of bowler Inoka Ranaweera. The pair cemented their starts with a half-century partnership off just 43 balls, keeping South Africa ahead of the required pace throughout.
The 13th over sealed Sri Lanka’s fate as Wolvaardt and the Brits smashed Kavish Dilhari for two boundaries to score 18 runs in the over. Wolvaardt reached her fifty off 41 balls and remained unbeaten on 60 off 47 deliveries. The British played a supportive but aggressive knock of 55, finishing the chase emphatically with a six off Piumi Watshala.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
October 17, 2025
