COLOMBO: Sri Lanka and New Zealand were forced to share points in their Women’s World Cup fixture after heavy rain had the final say in Colombo on Tuesday, washing out play after the innings break.
The hosts had done the hard yards, posting a competitive 258-6 and fancying their chances with a spin heavy attack on a pitch tailor made for the slow bowlers. The total was also the highest in the Colombo leg of the competition so far.
The innings belonged to lower order dynamo Nilakshika Silva, who threw caution to the wind to smash the fastest half-century of this World Cup.
Coming in at number six, she turned the tide with a whirlwind knock, reaching her fifty in just 26 balls, bettering the previous mark of 34 deliveries set by Bangladesh’s Shorna Akter earlier in the week.
It was also a new Sri Lankan record, eclipsing Nilakshika’s own milestone of 28 balls.
It was her fourth half-century in ODIs and she crossed the 1,000 run mark in the process, becoming only the eighth Sri Lankan to do so.
For once, the hosts didn’t have to lean solely on Chamari Athapaththu’s broad shoulders.
However, the skipper returned to form with her 20th ODI fifty and stitched together an opening stand of 101 with Vishmi Gunaratne, who made a fluent 42.
That solid foundation allowed Hasini Perera (44) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (26) to consolidate before Nilakshika’s late fireworks took the innings from steady to sizzling.
Sri Lanka plundered 80 runs in the last 10 overs, with 16 coming off the final over as they finished with a flourish.
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine picked up three wickets, but may have missed a trick by under bowling left-armer Bree Illing, who extracted lively bounce and pace to claim two scalps in just seven overs.
The Kiwis will stay put in Colombo to face Pakistan on Saturday while Sri Lanka take on an in-form South Africa on Friday.