Sri Lanka Women edged past New Zealand Women by five wickets with two balls to spare in the seventh match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at West End.
After being decided to bat first, New Zealand Women scored 150/6 in their 20 overs. After losing Izzy Gaze in the very first over, Amelia Kerr added 49 runs with Georgia Plimmer for the second wicket and then stitched together another 43-run partnership with Sophie Devine for the third wicket before Kavisha Dilhari dismissed her in the 13th over. Kerr scored 45 runs off 36 balls.
Sophie Devine then tried to accelerate the scoring, but Sugandika Kumari dismissed her in the 18th over. Devine also scored 45 runs, coming off 30 balls. Kavisha Dilhari was the most successful bowler for Sri Lanka Women, finishing with figures of 2/35 in four overs.
In reply, Vishmi Gunaratne and Chamari Athapaththu gave Sri Lanka Women a flying start, adding 45 runs for the first wicket in 5.5 overs. However, Nensi Patel (2/23 in four overs) and Bree Illing (1/33 in four overs) struck back to dismantle Sri Lanka's top order and bring New Zealand Women back into the contest. At 55/4 after 8.3 overs, Sri Lanka Women were in trouble.
Nilakshi de Silva then produced a match-winning innings of 54 not out off 37 balls. She shared a 50-run partnership with Kavisha Dilhari for the fifth wicket before Dilhari was run out in the 15th over. Nilakshi remained composed under pressure and added an unbeaten 48 runs with Kaushani Nuthyangana for the sixth wicket. Their partnership guided Sri Lanka Women to victory with two balls remaining.
The win gave Sri Lanka their first points of the tournament after an opening defeat to England, while New Zealand suffered a second consecutive loss and now face a difficult path to the semifinals.
Devine and Kerr Anchor New Zealand Innings
Earlier, New Zealand posted 150 for 6 after being asked to bat. In the absence of Suzie Bates, experienced campaigners Sophie Devine and Melie Kerr carried the batting effort. Both players scored 45 runs and helped their side recover from difficult situations. Kerr shared a 49-run partnership with Georgia Plimmer, while Devine guided the innings through the middle overs.
However, Sri Lanka's bowlers, especially the spinners, kept the scoring under control. They regularly broke partnerships and prevented New Zealand from building a truly imposing total. On a Southampton pitch that offered decent batting conditions despite being slightly slow, 150 never looked entirely safe.
Sri Lanka Recover After Early Collapse
Sri Lanka's chase got off to a shaky start. New Zealand's bowlers struck regularly and reduced them to 55 for 4, leaving the batting side under pressure with the required run rate climbing above nine runs per over. At that stage, Nilakshika walked to the crease with Sri Lanka needing a major partnership to stay in the contest.
Although she timed the ball well from the beginning, boundaries were hard to find. She did not hit her first four until her 13th delivery. However, she remained calm and focused while Kavisha Dilhari played an important supporting role.
The pair added 50 runs for the fifth wicket and steadied the innings. Their partnership prevented the required rate from getting out of control and kept Sri Lanka within reach of the target.
Nilakshika Takes Control
After the 12th over, Nilakshika began accelerating. She found gaps regularly and collected boundaries through extra cover and wide mid-on. She also struck a six over deep midwicket as Sri Lanka started to put pressure back on New Zealand. A misunderstanding between the batters led to Dilhari's dismissal, but Nilakshika remained composed and took responsibility for the chase.
She played brilliantly in the closing overs. While the pressure increased, she continued to rotate the strike and found boundaries at crucial moments.
One of the turning points came in the 18th over when she attacked Melie Kerr. Nilakshika hit two vital boundaries, including a stylish square drive and a powerful sweep shot. Those strokes significantly reduced the equation and swung momentum firmly in Sri Lanka's favour.
Nuthyangana Provides the Perfect Finish
Kaushini Nuthyangana played a crucial role in the final stages of the chase. The wicketkeeper-batter had already impressed behind the stumps, but she made an even bigger contribution with the bat. Coming in under pressure, she remained fearless and scored an unbeaten 24 from just 14 deliveries. Her partnership with Nilakshika proved decisive. The pair added 48 runs from only 28 balls and quickly closed the gap.
Nuthyangana balanced aggression with smart running between the wickets. She found boundaries when needed but also collected important singles and doubles.
With Sri Lanka needing only two runs from three balls, she struck the winning boundary through square leg, sparking celebrations in the Sri Lankan dugout.
New Zealand Let Chances Slip
New Zealand's defeat was made worse by several costly mistakes in the field. The biggest missed opportunity came in the 10th over when Bree Illing dropped a simple catch at short fine leg. Nilakshika was on just one run at the time. Had the catch been taken, Sri Lanka would have lost five wickets in five overs and the chase may have ended very differently.
New Zealand also struggled with their ground fielding in the closing stages, allowing Sri Lanka to pick up valuable runs and maintain momentum.
New Zealand's Strong Spell Not Enough
New Zealand appeared to take control during the middle phase of Sri Lanka's innings. Between the fifth and ninth overs, they picked up four wickets for just 10 runs. Off-spinner Nensi Patel led the attack and finished with figures of 2 for 23. Bree Illing removed Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu for 27, while Melie Kerr produced a direct-hit run-out to increase the pressure.
Despite that excellent spell, New Zealand failed to maintain their grip on the match. In the end, Nilakshika Silva's calm and match-winning knock, supported by Nuthyangana's fearless finishing, proved the difference in a thrilling contest that went down to the final over.
Brief Scorecard
