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New Zealand returned to winning ways to be well set for a potential semi-final spot at the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup. The Sophie Devine-led side defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday, October 12.
Coming on the back of a heavy defeat to Australia in their previous match, New Zealand lost the toss and were put to bowl first. After two consecutive ducks, Vishmi Gunaratne managed to get off the mark this time around. However, she could not make much of an impact as she was dismissed for eight runs off 15 deliveries.
Skipper Chamari Athapaththu got some runs under her belt, but looked far from her best. She top-scored with 35 runs off 41 deliveries. Sri Lanka looked well-settled to reach the 120 run-mark as they were cruising along at 74-2. However, a collapse reduced them to 97-5 in no time.
New Zealand made the most of bowling to fresh batters at the crease in the death overs. The batting side were devoid of boundaries when it was needed the most and settled for 115-5.
In reply, New Zealand were solid with the run-chase effort. They were not too focused on the net run-rate and methodically approached the target. Georgia Plimmer compiled a solid half-century while the rest of the batters chipped in with cameos to guide the side home with 15 deliveries to spare.
The win brings New Zealand back into business as far as the qualification scenario is concerned. They have four points from three points, the same as India, with the differentiatior, for now, being the net run-rate.
Sophie Devine and co's net run-rate which took a hammering at the hands of Australia, has improved to +0.282, while India's figure reads +0.576 as of now.
Sri Lanka end their campaign with four defeats, leaving them rock bottom on the table with an atrocious net run-rate of -2.173.
New Zealand to face Pakistan in their final group fixture on October 14
New Zealand will cast a firm eye on the upcoming clash between India and Australia on October 13 as it will have a huge impact on the group's fate. They also have one more group stage match remaining, scheduled for Monday, October 14 against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium.
Sri Lanka will be disappointed with their T20 World Cup campaign after finishing without a single win. There were expectations from the side following their 2024 Asia Cup triumph on home soil. The Chamari Athapaththu-led side only crossed the 100-run mark once in the entire tournament.
