Colombo, Oct 17 (PTI) Young Vishmi Gunaratne hit a breezy 33-ball 34 before Nonkululeko Mlaba (3/30) helped South Africa restrict Sri Lanka to 105/7 in their Women’s World Cup match that was reduced to 20 overs a side contest after a long rain interruption here on Friday.
The revised target for South Africa under DLS Method is 121 from 20 overs.
Opting to bat, Sri Lanka lost two wickets with just 37 runs on the board in 10 overs. Then, as has been the case a few times at the R Premadasa Stadium in the ongoing tournament, the rains arrived, forcing the players indoors with the home team at 46 for two in 12 overs.
The covers were brought in and play was held up for over five hours.
When the rains finally relented, the umpires, having thoroughly checked the playing arena for puddles and muddy patches, decided to restart the game after a fabulous job by the groundsmen.
Having treated the match as a 50-over contest prior to the rain break, Sri Lanka, on expected lines, switched gears immediately on resumption, with Kavisha Dilhari smashing Nonkululeko Mlaba over backward square leg for a six in the first ball.
However, South Africa hit back with two wickets in as many balls as Sri Lanka looked to up the ante.
But Gunaratne, who was forced to retire hurt and taken off the field on a stretcher after getting hit on the inner part of the knee while going for a run, came back after the fall of the fourth Sri Lankan wicket and struck some useful boundaries to prop up the home team, even as the South African fielders struggled with the wet ball.
The ball was very slippery, but the South Africans still managed to restrict Sri Lanka within 110.
Earlier, before the heavens opened up, Masabata Klass gave South Africa a good start, striking twice early to remove Hasini Perera and captain Chamari Athapaththu.
Sri Lanka are yet to register their first win in the showpiece and have two points from four matches after getting a point each following the washouts against Australia and New Zealand.
South Africa have won three times on the bounce after a horror start to their campaign when they were bowled out for 69 against England. Since then, however, they have produced three successful chases, the most notable being the one against India after they were staring down the barrel. PTI AH AH PDS PDS
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