Sri Lanka Women enjoy comfortable win over South Africa

Harshita Samarawickrama struck 77 to help Sri Lanka’s women to a comfortable five-wicket victory over South Africa in their Tri-Series ODI clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday.

Defeat represented a body blow to the chances of South Africa reaching the final of this competition. At present they bring up the rear of the table after consecutive defeats, against India and Sri Lanka. India have a perfect two from two winning record while the hosts are second on the log. To get into the final, Laura Wolvaardt’s players will have to beat the hosts and India in their remaining matches, a tough ask.

Speaking after the match, Wolvaardt said: “We just didn’t score enough runs. We needed to be braver with the bat for longer periods of time. The pitch started slow and sticky and maybe flattened out later. We also didn’t bowl well enough in the second half. A lot of their runs were scored square of the wicket, and that was not where we wanted to bowl.”

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu was delighted with her team. “We backed our skills and we have an experienced bowling line-up. I am really proud of the team.”

Chasing what appeared to be a difficult target of 236 for victory, the Sri Lankans achieved their fourth-highest successful run chase in ODIs to eventually win with 21 balls in hand. Their effort started poorly, however, when Athapaththu top-edged a pull off pace bowler Masabata Klaas, lofting the ball straight up for wicketkeeper Karabo Meso to complete an easy catch.

That setback might have unnerved Sri Lanka after their collapse against India, but Hasini Perera and Vishmi Gunaratne seemed immediately at ease, batting fluently against a toothless South African attack. The pair added 69 in 76 balls before Gunaratne attempted a reverse sweep against left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba and was adjudged leg before wicket. And when Perera followed shortly after, falling to a low diving catch from Wolvaardt at midwicket, Sri Lanka appeared vulnerable on 90 for three after 18 overs.

But that proved an illusion as Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari came together to effectively take their team to victory. Appearing in no sort of trouble, the pair provided the most secure and fluent batting of the match to add 128 in 152 balls for the fourth wicket, a record for Sri Lanka in women’s ODIs.

They were set to take their team home but both fell just short of victory: Dilhari caught at cover off Malaba for 61 (75 balls, 6x4s, 1x6) and Samarawickrama caught off Nadine de Klerk for 77 (93 balls, 8x4s). Not that it mattered for the delighted home team and their staff as they celebrated victory with plenty to spare.

For South Africa, the uneven performance of their bowlers, ineffective on this pitch, will be a concern. They will also be concerned about Meso being unable to complete the match because of a heat-related illness and Sune Luus who had to be helped from the field after jarring a knee when diving to save runs in the outfield.

Mlaba was the most successful bowler with 2-44 off her 10 overs with Luus, Klaas and De Klerk collecting one each. But in general the South African attack lacked penetration.

HALF-CENTURY FOR DERCKSEN

Earlier, an excellent maiden half-century by Annerie Dercksen enabled South Africa to reach 235 for nine in their innings after they had lost the toss and been put into bat on a slow, two-paced pitch that made fluent strokeplay difficult.

South Africa had a poor start, losing both their openers in the first power play. Following her century against India, Tazmin Brits was bowled by left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari’s arm ball for 14 and Wolvaardt was castled by a brilliant leg-cutter by Sri Lanka’s only pace bowler, Malki Madara, who went on to complete the excellent figures of 4/50 after capturing two wickets in her final over.

With their two most successful batters back in the hut, South Africa were under pressure on a sticky pitch – the same used in the SA v India game. That pressure only intensified when youngster Meso, batting at four, struggled to get the ball away and was caught in the covers for nine in 27 balls offspinner Inoka Ranaweera

At 59 for three in the 17th over, Lara Goodall and Luus were forced to rebuild the innings. The pair started conservatively, but played with increasing freedom to add 54 in 61 balls before Goodall was caught on the long-on boundary after scoring 46 in 63 balls, including five fours. She was debutant spinner Dewmi Vihanga’s first wicket and Luus (31) became her second shortly afterwards as she glanced a delivery onto her stumps. Vihanga finished with 3-41 in her 10 overs, a fine start to her international career.

The key partnership then began, with South Africa struggling on 120 for five in the 29th over. Chloe Tryon and Dercksen – who impressed with a brisk 30 in 20 balls against India – both played with pleasing freedom as they added 62 at a run-a-ball for the sixth wicket, taking South Africa to 182 in the 40th over before Tryon was magnificently caught on the long-on boundary by Nilakshika Silva who dived to her left and clutched the ball in her left hand centimetres inside the rope. Tryon departed for an excellent 35 in 40 balls.

Dercksen batted through to the end of the innings, initially helped by Nadine de Klerk (17). She reached her fifty with a superb straight drive for six off Kumari in the 48th over and finished with an unbeaten 61 in 60 balls, including four fours and that six, the only maximum of the innings.

Sri Lanka’s fielding was erratic. Although Silva claimed a brilliant catch and Dilhari was a bundle of energy in the field, they put down three chances and some of their ground-fielding was untidy.

SRI LANKA: Chamari Athapaththu (capt.), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kaveesha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani, Dewmini Vihanga, Malki Madara, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt.), Tazmin Brits, Lara Goodall, Karabo Meso (wk), Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka