The 15th match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 between New Zealand Women and Sri Lanka Women in Colombo ended with no result due to heavy rain. Sri Lanka managed to post 258 for 6 in 50 overs, with the help of a blazing half-century from Nilakshi de Silva and composed innings from Chamari Athapaththu, Hasini Perera and Vishmi Gunaratne.
Sri Lanka Post Strong Total
Choosing to bat first, Sri Lanka reached a solid 258 for 6, thanks to Silva’s late fireworks and a composed fifty from captain Chamari Athapaththu. The innings also featured steady contributions from Vishmi Gunaratne and Hasini Perera. Silva’s entry changed the tempo completely — she smashed 55 runs off just 28 balls, hitting seven fours and one six. Her aggressive batting added 80 runs in the final ten overs, a big jump for a side that had struggled to score quickly late in innings throughout the tournament.
Devine Shines but New Zealand Falter in Field
For New Zealand, Sophie Devine was the standout bowler, claiming three wickets, including Athapaththu’s crucial dismissal. However, she was also expensive, conceding 54 runs in nine overs. Bree Illing, who came in for Lea Tahuhu, and Rosemary Mair took one wicket each.
New Zealand’s fielding, though, let them down badly. They missed several clear chances during Sri Lanka’s innings. The first came early when Athapaththu edged one on 12, but neither the umpire nor most fielders noticed, except keeper Izzy Gaze, whose lone appeal was ignored. The Sri Lankan skipper went on to complete her 20th WODI half-century — a costly miss for New Zealand.
Missed Chances and Lucky Escapes
Sri Lanka benefited from multiple reprieves. Gunaratne, struggling at 19 off 45, was initially given out lbw to Amelia Kerr but survived on review, with Ultra Edge showing a faint nick. Later, Amelia dropped a tough return catch, and Suzie Bates missed another easy chance at mid-on.
Athapaththu too had some luck, surviving several close run-out attempts as New Zealand fielders missed direct hits and misfielded repeatedly. Keeper Izzy Gaze missed a stumping and a difficult edge behind the stumps, while Hasini Perera escaped an lbw appeal off Rosemary Mair — replays showed the slow delivery might have hit the stumps, but New Zealand did not review.
Silva Leads Late Charge
Nilakshika Silva played a brilliant innings to rescue Sri Lanka from a mid-innings slump in their World Cup clash against New Zealand in Colombo. Her quickfire fifty — the fastest of the tournament — revived the team’s momentum after it looked like they were wasting their best start of the event. However, heavy rain washed out play after Sri Lanka’s innings, forcing both sides to share points.
Rain Denies a Result
Just as Sri Lanka seemed to hold the upper hand, rain returned after the innings break, ending any chance of play. The match was abandoned, and both Sri Lanka and New Zealand had to settle for one point each.
Brief Scorecard
Despite the moments of fortune, Sri Lanka’s batting remained cautious for much of the innings, reflecting their recent struggles in the tournament. They lost only two wickets until the 40th over but scored at under five an over. When they finally tried to accelerate, wickets fell quickly — three in a short span as they slipped from 183 for 2 to 198 for 5.
Even then, Silva’s confident hitting steadied the innings. She finished with a flurry, including three boundaries in the final over that brought 16 runs and gave Sri Lanka a strong finish at the halfway mark. rain have the final say and match was abandoned. Both teams get a point each. But it looks like a chance for Sri Lanka but rain took it away. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!