Sri Lanka Women produced a batting performance composed to beat New Zealand Women By five wickets in the 7th match ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at The Rose Bowl. Chasing 151 for victory, an unbeaten half-century from the Man of the Match Nilakshi de Silva Sri Lanka anchored the innings to reach 153/5 in 19.4 overs, overcoming a strong New Zealand total built on valuable contributions. Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr.
Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr set the platform for New Zealand
New Zealand Women got off to a fast start, winning the toss and losing after electing to bat. Isabella View only for four. Georgia Plimmer He added 18 runs, but it was the experienced duo of Amelia Kerr and captain Devine who steadied the innings and pushed the scoring rate forward. Kerr compiled an elegant 45 off 36 deliveries, hitting five boundaries, while Devine equaled a smooth 45 off just 30 balls, which included four fours and a six. Their partnership ensured that New Zealand remained on a competitive overall course despite regular advances.
Late contributions Maddy Greenwho chipped in with 13 balls off 18, and Jess Kerr Helped New Zealand finish at 150/6 from 20 overs. for Sri Lanka, Kavisha Dilhari He was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/35 Mithali Ayodhya, Sugandika Kumari, Chamari Athapaththu and Nimasha Madushani Meepage each claimed a keeper.
Nilakshi de Silva anchors the chase after starting the attack
Sri Lanka were positive in the chase, with skipper Athapaththu setting the tone with a lively 27 off 19 deliveries. Vishmi Rajapaksa Gunaratne New Zealand also hit three boundaries during a 17-run knock before bouncing back. Nancy Patelwho produced two major knocks and finished with impressive figures of 2/23. Despite a few failures in the middle overs, Nilakshi continued with a perfect unbeaten innings of 54 off 37 balls. Mixing a controlled strokeplay with timely aggression, he found crucial support from Dilhari and later Kaushani Nuthyangana, whose 14 deliveries quickly turned 24 off 24 in Sri Lanka’s favour. With the target in sight, Nilakshi calmly guided his side home and saw Sri Lanka cross the finish line with two balls to spare and five wickets in hand.
New Zealand’s bowling attack struggled to stop Sri Lanka’s chase despite Patel taking two wickets. Bree Illing‘s single jump. Rosemary Mair and Amelia Kerr bowled economically but failed to produce the crucial wicket that could have turned the contest. Nilakshi’s match-winning half-century earned him the Player of the Match award and capped an impressive all-round display from Sri Lanka, who were chasing a tough target under pressure.
Nilakshika Silva’s brilliant fifty leads Sri Lanka to a memorable victory over the reigning champions 👏#ENGLISH LANGUAGE #T20WorldCup #NilakshikaSilva pic.twitter.com/9jxprBTcta
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) June 17, 2026
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This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
