There may not have been a match in any respect had the rains not cleared, the famously environment friendly groundstaff not sprung into motion, and followers on the R. Premadasa Stadium right here not held on by a humid night.
However destiny had different concepts — and a dramatic T20-style end lit up the Girls’s ODI World Cup 2025 conflict between Sri Lanka and South Africa.
South Africa held its nerve but once more, overcoming each climate and the Sri Lankan bowling unit to clinch a vital 10-wicket win.
Because it occurred: SL vs SA Highlights, Girls’s World Cup 2025: South Africa beats Sri Lanka by 10 wickets
Openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits took their time early on. However the skipper stepped on the gasoline within the second over, happening the monitor to loft the primary boundary over mid-off. From there, the pair settled right into a fluent rhythm to chase down the DLS-adjusted 121-run goal with ease.
The skipper bought to her half-century with a well-timed boundary between lengthy on and deep midwicket. However by then, Sri Lanka had misplaced all hope of a primary win in entrance of a scattered however enthusiastic residence crowd. Brits completed the chase in type, smacking Piumi Wathsala over deep midwicket for six, citing her fifty as nicely.
Mlaba, with 11 wickets on this marketing campaign, is second to solely Annabel Sutherland (12) within the wicket-takes’ tally.
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Mlaba, with 11 wickets on this marketing campaign, is second to solely Annabel Sutherland (12) within the wicket-takes’ tally.
| Picture Credit score:
Getty Photos
The inspiration of South Africa’s win was laid by Nonkululeko Mlaba and Nadine de Klerk, whose disciplined spells restricted Sri Lanka’s ambitions. Mlaba, particularly, turned the tide within the remaining over with three wickets in 4 balls (which included a run out).
She ended a threatening 40-run fifth-wicket stand between Nilakshika Silva — Sri Lanka’s quickest ODI half-centurion — and a gutsy Vishmi Gunaratne, who returned to bat after being stretchered off with a knee damage earlier within the PowerPlay.
Silva was the primary to fall, mistiming a giant swing to deep midwicket. Substitute fielder Anneke Bosch then effected a pointy run-out to dismiss Anushka Sanjeewani, earlier than Gunaratne edged the final ball behind to teenage World Cup debutant Karabo Meso, who took a clear catch.
Returning to the center after greater than a five-hour-long rain delay, Sri Lanka had simply eight overs to go huge. Regardless of flashes of resistance, the house aspect fell brief, and South Africa cantered to victory.
Printed on Oct 17, 2025