SRI LANKA TROUNCED BY SOUTH AFRICA BY 10 WICKETS IN RAIN SHORTENED GAME AT RPS – By Sunil Thenabadu
Wolvaardt, Brits fifties put SA closer to semi-final berth South Africa completed their fourth chase of the tournament, this time with ten wickets in hand
South Africa 121 for 0 (Wolvaardt 60*, Brits 55*) beat Sri Lanka 105 for 7 (Gunaratne 34, Mlaba 3-30, Klaas 2-18) by ten wickets (DLS method)
20-overs-a-side
South Africa took a big step towards a World Cup semi-final berth by chasing successfully for the fourth time in the tournament, this time in a rain-reduced encounter in Colombo. They played what was essentially a T20 against Sri Lanka, whose innings was paused for five-and-a-quarter hours, and whose semi-final hopes now hang by a thread. Sri Lanka have two points from two washouts and are winless. For any chance of a final-four spot, they must win their last two games and hope other results go their way.
After choosing to bat first, Sri Lanka faced 12 overs before the rain delay and scored 46 for 2. They returned to hit 59 runs in eight overs, losing five wickets in the process. South Africa’s target was adjusted up from Sri Lanka’s final score of 105 for 7 to acknowledge the hosts did not know they would only bat 20 overs for 60% of their innings.
Similarly South Africa’s bowling plans were scuppered by the revised playing conditions. Both senior seamers – Marizanne Kapp and Masabata Klaas – were bowled out in the first 12 overs as the reduction only allowed for bowlers to deliver a maximum of four overs each. They had also included two offspinners – Sune Luus, returning from a hip flexor strain, and Nondumiso Shangase – but neither ended up bowling.
Instead, it was left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, dealing with a wet ball, who took 3 for 30 and limited Sri Lanka after the resumption. Unlike in their previous two matches against India and Bangladesh, South Africa were barely troubled in the chase. Laura Wolvaardt scored a second half-century at this event and Tazmin Brits supported her with a fifty of her own as South Africa cruised to a win with 5.1 overs to spare. Their net run-rate, though, remains negative after their opening defeat to England.
South Africa may not have thought it would be that easy, when hours earlier, Sri Lanka – fresh from topping 250 against New Zealand – decided to go again by batting first in home conditions. But South Africa had an ace, Klaas, who threatened from the get-go when she beat Vishmi Gunaratne first with an outswinger and then an inswinger. In the next over, Gunaratne was completing a single off Kapp when a throw came into the non-striker’s end and struck her on the inside of her left knee. Going down in pain, she received treatment on-field and was stretchered off later. No serious damage was done as Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed she would bat again later in the innings.
Athapaththu was on three of 12 balls at the time and only got her next runs six deliveries later when she hit Kapp inside-out over point for four. Just as she found her touch, South Africa also discovered theirs. Klaas bowled Hasini Perera, who played down the wrong line, with a beauty that shaped away. Then Kapp found Harshita Samarawickrama’s edge but the chance fell short of Chloe Tryon at slip. Klaas then snared the big fish when Athapaththu was given out lbw as she lunged forward to an inswinger. Athpaththu thought the impact was outside the line and reviewed but stayed out on umpires call. Sri Lanka were 37 for 2 after 10 overs.
Only two more overs were possible before the drizzle became too heavy and the players were taken off the field. They remained off for five hours and 14 minutes, during which time it rained heavily, eased off and eventually Sri Lanka’s excellent groundstaff got conditions ready for a restart.
Mlaba restarted proceedings and was dispatched for six first ball by Kavisha Dilhari, in an over that cost 10. Sri Lanka’s intent was clear when, in the next over, Samarawickrama tried to slog Nadine de Klerk but got a leading edge to mid-off, where Klaas could not hold on. De Klerk was rewarded later in the over when Dilhari handed a catch to Wolvaardt at cover.
Nonkululeko Mlaba finished with three wickets, Sri Lanka vs South Africa, Women’s ODI World Cup, Colombo, October 17, 2025
Nonkululeko Mlaba finished with three wickets•Getty Images
It became two in two for Sri Lanka as Mlaba removed Samarawickrama at the start of her next over, with Wolvaardt doing the catching again. That brought Gunaratne back to the crease and she finished the over by hitting Mlaba down the ground for four. Gunaratne was in excellent touch and hit Chloe Tryon through point, and Mlaba for back-to-back fours to keep pressure on South Africa.
Nilakshika de Silva took on de Klerk but South Africa pulled things back in the last two overs. De Klerk’s fourth over cost just three runs and Mlaba picked up two wickets and conceded four to take her to second on the tournament wicket-takers’ list. De Silva, trying to get as many as possible, picked out deep midwicket and Gunaratne edged behind to give 18-year old wicketkeeper Karabo Meso her first World Cup catch.
Wolvaardt and Brits, who had not had the best tournament as an opening pair thus far, then took complete control. They posted their highest opening stand of this World Cup and dealt well with the early swing Malki Madara generated. Wolvaardt kept one that was destined for the stumps out and then advanced down the track to hit her over mid-on.
It took Brits, coming off back to back ducks, some time before she brought out a big shot. But when she did, it was huge. Coming down the track, she sent Inoka Ranaweera back over her head for six. South Africa’s fifty came up in the eighth over as Brits was nearly run out at the non-striker’s end with Wolvaardt pushing for two. Wolvaardt went on to give Brits the best view in the house as she creamed a cover drive off Athapaththu and asserted her authority on the game.
Brits survived an lbw review on 20 when Dilhari tossed one up. Dilhari’s night got worse from there when South Africa took 18 runs off her third over including four fours. Wolvaardt reached fifty off the second one, when she hit Dilhari leg-side, then Brits scored two of her own to enter the 40s. She finished things off quickly and got to fifty when she ended the game with a six over midwicket.
Wolvaardt’s South Africa keep solving problems, one match at a time
Apart from the opening game against England, whenever SA have been posed difficult questions, their players have made themselves count
Wolvaardt’s South Africa keep solving problems, one match at a time
Wolvaardt, Brits fifties put SA closer to semi-final berth
South Africa completed their fourth chase of the tournament, this time with ten wickets in hand
Wolvaardt, Brits fifties put SA closer to semi-final berth
‘We know their strengths and weaknesses’ – SA bank on tri-series experience for SL challenge
South Africa will play two matches in Colombo, first against Sri Lanka and then against Pakistan
Sri Lanka Women (20 ovs maximum)
Batting R B M 4s 6s SR
Vishmi Gunaratne
c †Meso b Mlaba
34 33 42 6 0 103.03
Chamari Athapaththu (c)
lbw b Klaas
11 25 46 2 0 44.00
Hasini Perera
b Klaas
4 7 10 1 0 57.14
Harshitha Samarawickrama
c Wolvaardt b Mlaba
13 24 31 0 0 54.16
Kavisha Dilhari
c Wolvaardt b de Klerk
14 13 16 1 1 107.69
Nilakshika Silva
c sub (A Bosch) b Mlaba
18 17 21 2 0 105.88
Anushka Sanjeewani †
run out (sub [A Bosch]/Mlaba)
1 1 3 0 0 100.00
Piumi Wathsala
not out 0 0 1 0 0 –
Extras (b 1, lb 6, w 3) 10
Total
20 Ov
(RR: 5.25)
105/7
Did not bat:
Sugandika Kumari,
Malki Madara,
Inoka Ranaweera
Fall of wickets: 0-21* (Vishmi Gunaratne, retired not out), 1-30 (Hasini Perera, 7.1 ov), 2-37 (Chamari Athapaththu, 9.6 ov), 3-63 (Kavisha Dilhari, 13.6 ov), 4-63 (Harshitha Samarawickrama, 14.1 ov), 5-103 (Nilakshika Silva, 19.3 ov), 6-105 (Anushka Sanjeewani, 19.5 ov), 7-105 (Vishmi Gunaratne, 19.6 ov) •
DRS
Bowling O M R W ECON 0s 4s 6s WD NB
Marizanne Kapp
5 1 14 0 2.80 23 2 0 1 0
Masabata Klaas
5 0 18
2
3.60 23 3 0 2 0
Chloe Tryon
2 0 13 0 6.50 6 2 0 0 0
Nadine de Klerk
4 0 23
1
5.75 11 2 0 0 0
Nonkululeko Mlaba
4 0 30
3
7.50 10 3 1 0 0
South Africa Women (T: 121 runs from 20 ovs)
Batting R B M 4s 6s SR
Laura Wolvaardt (c)
not out 60 47 67 8 0 127.65
Tazmin Brits
not out 55 42 67 4 2 130.95
Extras (lb 2, w 8) 10
Total
14.5 Ov
(RR: 8.42)
125/0
Did not bat:
Sune Luus,
Annerie Dercksen,
Marizanne Kapp,
Karabo Meso †,
Chloe Tryon,
Nadine de Klerk,
Nondumiso Shangase,
Masabata Klaas,
Nonkululeko Mlaba
DRS
Bowling O M R W ECON 0s 4s 6s WD NB
Sugandika Kumari
2 0 15 0 7.50 4 2 0 0 0
Malki Madara
3 0 14 0 4.66 9 1 0 1 0
Inoka Ranaweera
3 0 24 0 8.00 6 1 1 1 0
Chamari Athapaththu
3 0 22 0 7.33 5 2 0 0 0
Kavisha Dilhari
3 0 29 0 9.66 5 5 0 1 0
Piumi Wathsala
0.5 0 19 0 22.80
