Women's T20 WC: New Zealand, Sri Lanka seek first points in crucial Group B clash (Preview)
Southampton, June 15
New Zealand and Sri Lanka will both be desperate to open their account in Group B when they meet in a crucial Women's T20 World Cup encounter, with both sides coming into the contest on the back of defeats in their tournament openers.
New Zealand currently sit fourth in the standings after suffering a seven-wicket loss to West Indies despite posting a competitive 162/6. Their batting effort was anchored by Isabella Gaze's 39 off 29 balls after early setbacks saw Georgia Plimmer and Amelia Kerr depart cheaply. Brooke Halliday and Maddy Green added valuable runs in the latter half of the innings, pushing the total beyond 160.
However, the bowlers were unable to defend it as Hayley Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle turned the chase in the West Indies' favour. Campbelle's unbeaten 90 proved decisive as New Zealand slipped to their first defeat of the campaign.
Halliday remains New Zealand's leading run-scorer in the tournament with 40 runs, while Jess Kerr has been the standout performer with the ball, claiming two wickets.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, find themselves at the bottom of the table following a heavy 87-run defeat to hosts England. Their bowlers endured a difficult outing as England piled up 219 for one, powered by a century from Danielle Wyatt-Hodge and a half-century from Amy Jones.
The chase never gathered momentum for Sri Lanka, who were reduced to 37 for three inside the Powerplay. Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshi de Silva offered some resistance, but the target proved well beyond reach as the innings folded for 132.
Nilakshi leads Sri Lanka's scoring charts with 39 runs, while Malki Madara is the side's lone wicket-taker so far in the competition.
With both teams still searching for their first points, the contest carries added significance. Another defeat would leave either side facing an uphill battle to stay in contention for a place in the knockout stage.
When: Tuesday, June 16, 7:00 PM IST
Where: The Rose Bowl, Southampton
Where to watch: The NZ vs SL match will be broadcast on Star Sports channels, with JioHotstar live-streaming the game.
Squads:
New Zealand: Melie Kerr (c), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Sharp, Lea Tahuhu
Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunarathne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Imesha Dulani, Nilakshika Silva, Kaveesha Dilhari, Hansima Karunarathne, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Sugandika Dassanayaka, Nimasha Madushani, Shashini Gimhani, Kawya Kavindi, Malki Madara, Mithali Ayodhya
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an Indian fan who follows women's cricket closely, I think NZ's bowlers need to improve their death bowling. They let Campbelle chase down 162 easily. Sri Lanka's batting lineup looks fragile after that collapse against England. Hopefully we see a competitive match at Rose Bowl. Finally caught a glimpse of some good cricket after watching our men's team play 😅
Both teams desperately need points. NZ's batting looks solid with Gaze anchoring well, but their bowling attack seems one-dimensional. Sri Lanka's main concern is total dependence on Chamari - if she fails, the entire batting crumbles like pack of cards. Still, I feel this could be a close contest if SL's spinners get some purchase on this track. Will be watching live on JioHotstar!
Great preview! It's interesting how both teams lost by different margins - NZ almost defended 162 while SL couldn't even cross 140 against England. The key battle will be between NZ's top order and SL's bowlers. If Sri Lanka can pick early wickets, they might just pull off an upset. But realistically, New Zealand should win this comfortably.
This is a crucial match for the tournament. Both teams need to up their game. NZ's Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates need to fire, they have experience but haven't contributed much yet. For Sri Lanka, I feel sorry for their bowlers after that England onslaught, but they need to bounce back quickly. Women's cricket is growing so fast, these matches are important for the sport's development in associate nations too. 💪
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