SA-W vs SL-W Match 18 Results

5:57 PM IST What's next, then? The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, 2025, is heading towards its business end, and the race to finish in the top four will get more and more spicy as chapter 19 of the tournament sees New Zealand Women facing off Pakistan Women, here, at the very R. Premadasa Stadium of Colombo. The weather will once again be the talking point as it continues to be overcast in the Sri Lankan capital. Let's hope that at least this time we get a complete game of cricket in this competition at this venue. That game will be played on Saturday, 18th October, and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 9.30 am GMT. Do join us for the pre-match buildup and analysis an hour earlier. Till then, it is a wrap from us. Take care!

5:54 PM IST Okay then, South Africa Women, with this win, go up to the second position, with 8 points. They are now knocking on the doors of qualification with four wins in a row. This one, though, was a much comprehensive one of all. They will stay in Colombo for their next game against Pakistan Women on Tuesday, 21st October. Can they make five wins in five? Only time will tell. Whereas Sri Lanka Women have a bit of back-and-forth travelling to do. They will fly to Navi Mumbai for their next fixture against Bangladesh Women on Monday, 20th October. They have two games remaining, and a win in both of them is a non-negotiable to remain in the race.

5:54 PM IST South Africa’s biggest concern coming into this game was their inconsistent opening partnership, a flaw that had often put pressure on their middle order. But in this game, the openers chose the perfect stage to set things right. With an average of just 11 prior to this match, and previous stands of 9, 26, 6, and 3, the numbers told their story. Yet, under challenging conditions and in a crucial contest, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits finally found their rhythm together. They timed this chase to near perfection and erased that flaw in style, making an absolute stroll in the park of this chase.

5:51 PM IST Earlier in the game, Sri Lanka Women opted to bat first. Vishmi Gunarathne began confidently but had to be stretchered off after taking a blow to her knee. Losing Athapaththu inside the Powerplay further dented their momentum during the rebuilding phase. They were 46/2 in 12 overs when rain interrupted play for over five hours. Once the match resumed, reduced to a 20-overs-per-side contest, Sri Lanka managed to add 59 runs in the final 8 overs, thanks to valuable contributions from Vishmi Gunarathne and Nilakshi de Silva. Nonkululeko Mlaba starred with a superb three-wicket haul, while Klaas chipped in with a couple.

5:50 PM IST The victorious skipper of South Africa Women, Laura Wolvaardt, walks up again to chat with Ian Bishop. She admits that she’s just relieved to finally get a game in the end. Says that it’s been a long and frustrating day, waiting around for nearly five hours as the rain kept teasing them. It literally stopped raining ten minutes before the cut-off, she says with a laugh, thankful that things worked out and they could get back on the field. Speaking about the opening partnership, she notes that it’s something the group has been talking about a lot, as they hadn’t had the best tournament as an opening pair so far, she admits, but adds proudly that putting up a 100-run stand today felt really nice. Spending time in the middle, she says, helped them settle in and find some rhythm as a unit. Laura goes on to mention that the team is still searching for that perfect game, as sometimes the top order has fired, sometimes the middle order, she explains, adding that the challenge now is for everyone to click together in the same match. Points out that death bowling has been an area of focus, because they’ve been a bit loose in those overs in previous games, she says, but it was good to see the bowlers closing things out better today. Wrapping up, she admits that it’s tough to stay switched on after such a long delay, but the group showed good composure to regroup quickly and get the job done.

5:47 PM IST The skipper of South Africa Women, Laura Wolvaardt, is also adjudged the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for her impressive match-winning knock of an unbeaten 60 off 47 deliveries. She steps up with a smile and begins by saying that it feels great to finally get a game after all the waiting. Sitting around for four to five hours was frustrating, but in the end, she’s happy to walk away with two crucial points. Explains that the team approached the rain-shortened contest like a normal T20 game, aiming to get ahead early and not leave things too late. With high intensity and positive intent, they wanted to control the chase right from the start. Speaking about the conditions, she mentions that the ball felt like a bar of soap when they were bowling, making it tricky for the fielders and bowlers alike. However, once they began batting, the surface came on nicely, allowing the batters to play their shots freely. Reflecting on the bowling plans, she adds that their regular death bowlers were already done, so they had to trust the spinners at the end. She’s pleased with how they handled the pressure and executed their plans. Finally, Laura notes that captaining in a World Cup feels a bit different, with extra preparation and responsibility, but once she’s out in the middle, it’s all about watching the ball and striking it cleanly. Ends with a grin, grateful for the win and proud of the way her team responded under pressure.