Women’s World Cup: Gunaratne’s Steady Innings Leads Sri Lanka to 105 in Rain Affected 20 Overs

Sri Lanka, Oct 18 : In a rain affected ICC Women’s World Cup clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Vishmi Gunaratne’s composed innings and a late order fightback helped Sri Lanka post 105 for 7 in their 20 overs against South Africa on Saturday.

The total will now be revised under the DLS method, with South Africa chasing a target of 121 runs.

Gunaratne’s fluent strokeplay anchored Sri Lanka’s innings early on, as she forged a steady opening partnership with skipper Chamari Athapaththu after the hosts opted to bat. However, the partnership was disrupted when a throw from Ayabonga Khaka struck Gunaratne on the left knee, forcing her to retire hurt and leave the field on a stretcher.

Hasini Perera, who replaced Gunaratne, was dismissed cheaply by Masabata Klaas, who struck again to remove Athapaththu for 11, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 12 overs when rain halted play.

After the delay, the match was shortened to 20 overs, and the Sri Lankan lower order rose to the challenge. Kavisha Dilhari (14) and Nilakshi de Silva (18) provided crucial runs, helping the hosts reach 105 for 7, setting up a challenging DLS-adjusted target of 121 for South Africa.

For the visitors, Nonkululeko Mlaba led the bowling attack with 3 for 30, while Klaas’s early strikes kept Sri Lanka under pressure before the lower order fightback.

Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka 105/7 in 20 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 34, Nilakshika Silva 14; Nonkululeko Mlaba 3/30, Masabata Klaas 2/18) vs South Africa