Match 1 of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 saw hosts South Africa defeated by Sri Lanka by 3 runs.
Match 1 of the ICC Women’s 2023 at Newlands, Cape Town, Sri Lanka defied the odds to defeat the tournament hosts South Africa by a narrow margin of three runs.
Match Report
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Group A, First Match: South Africa Women vs. Sri Lanka Women
126/9 for South African females (20 ov)
Women of Sri Lanka 129/4 (20 ov)
Sri Lanka Women prevailed by 3 runs in the end.
Score Report
With a magnificent 68 from 50 balls, captain Chamari Athapaththu set the tone early for her country and set the record for the highest individual score at the championship match.
Athapaththu’s spinners took charge with cunning and composure after giving South Africa 130 to win to seal their first T20I victory over the Proteas since 2016.
In the first three overs, Sri Lanka only managed to score four runs. However, Athapaththu soon found her groove and blasted back-to-back fours against Nonkululeko Mlaba.
The opener, Harshitha Samarawickrama, was far less proficient, but she was able to end her troubles when she chipped Nadine de Klerk to midwicket and left for eight off 20 balls.
With the addition of 17-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne, Athapaththu continued to attack De Klerk, hitting five boundaries in nine balls.
After taking some time to calm down, Vishmi mimicked her captain’s stroke play by lap-sweeping Mlaba to the rope and then hacking Shabnim Ismail for three fours in an over when she eventually went back on the attack.
Athapaththu and Vishmi put together Sri Lanka’s greatest partnership for any wicket in the T20 World Cup with 86 runs for the second wicket, however they left suddenly after consecutive deliveries.
Tazmin Brits successfully ran out Vishmi for 35 after she attempted to take a single to a short cover that was not present. Athapaththu then died to long leg for an outstanding 68, leaving her team on 114 for three.
More analysis
Ismail yorked Nilakshi de Silva in the penultimate over to drastically slow Sri Lanka down. Marizanne Kapp gave up just five runs in the final over as South Africa was given a 130-point victory rget.
After a strong start from the hosts, Tazmin Brits was hit in the helmet by the fifth ball of the opposition’s response and was twice cleared of concussion symptoms by team physicians.
In the penultimate powerplay over, off-spinner Oshadi Ranasinghe linked up four dot balls. The British found extra cover to depart for 12.
In the eighth over, Marizanne Kapp holed out to Nilakshi de Silva at long leg off Inoka Ranaweera. Who had been dismissed for 11 at 44 for one, giving Sri Lanka the Proteas’ prized scalp.
When Laura Wolvaardt top-edged a sweep onto her shoulder and Ranasinghe pouched the ball to go for 18. Ranaweera struck once more and the South Africans fell farther behind.
Chloe Tryon initially restrained her innate attacking impulses and selected the incorrect ball to get into. She also misjudged a leg-side slog, and De Silva was steady beneath the catch once more.
Match 1 of the ICC Women’s
Sri Lanka Women Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Harshitha Madavi – 6.4 ov), 2-114 (Vishmi Rajapaksha – 17.1 ov), 3-114 (Chamari Atapattu – 17.2 ov), 4-123 (Nilakshi de Silva – 18.5 ov)
Sri Lanka Women Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Tazmin Brits – 4.5 ov), 2-44 (Marizanne Kapp – 7.3 ov), 3-53 (Laura Wolvaardt – 9.4 ov), 4-72 (Chloe Tryon – 12.2 ov), 5-72 (Anneke Bosch – 12.4 ov), 6-95 (Nadine de Klerk – 16.3 ov), 7-113 (Sune Luus – 18.3 ov), 8-117 (Sinalo Jafta – 18.5 ov), 9-120 (Shabnim Ismail – 19.2 ov)
Playing XIs
South Africa – Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus(C), Chloe Tryon, Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta(WK), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
Sri Lanka – Harshitha Madavi, Chamari Atapattu(C), Vishmi Rajapaksha, Anushka Sanjeewani(WK), Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Ama Kanchana, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera, Achini Kulasuriya
Match Details
Match 1 of the ICC Women’s
Date – 2023-02-10 17:00:00
Venue – Newlands, Cape Town, Cape Town
Toss – South Africa Women won the toss & elected to field
Umpires – Anna Harris (England), Kim Cotton (New Zealand), Eloise Sheridan (Australia TV)
