Dominant Wolvaardt and Brits Lead Crushing Victory Over Sri Lanka in Rain-Shortened ODI

If the rains hadn’t cleared, there might not have been a match at all, but thanks to the efficient groundstaff and the dedicated fans at R. Premadasa Stadium who endured a damp evening, the game went ahead as planned.

Fate intervened to set the stage for a thrilling T20-style conclusion to the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 showdown between Sri Lanka and South Africa.

Once again, South Africa showcased its resilience, triumphing over both the challenging weather and the Sri Lankan bowling attack to secure a vital 10-wicket victory.

As detailed in the highlights: SL vs SA Highlights, Women’s World Cup 2025: South Africa beats Sri Lanka by 10 wickets.

Openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits initially took a cautious approach. However, the captain quickly changed the pace, hitting the first boundary over mid-off in the second over. This set the stage for a seamless chase of the DLS-adjusted 121-run target.

The captain reached her half-century with a precise boundary between long on and deep midwicket. By that time, Sri Lanka’s hopes of a first win in front of a sparse but spirited home crowd had faded. Brits sealed the victory in style, launching Piumi Wathsala over deep midwicket for a six, heralding her own fifty.

In the current campaign, Nonkululeko Mlaba stands out with 11 wickets, second only to Annabel Sutherland’s 12.

The foundation of South Africa’s victory was established by the disciplined bowling of Nonkululeko Mlaba and Nadine de Klerk, which curtailed Sri Lanka’s momentum. Mlaba’s decisive final over, where she claimed three wickets in four balls (including a run-out), was pivotal.

She broke a promising 40-run fifth-wicket partnership between Nilakshika Silva, Sri Lanka’s quickest ODI half-centurion, and the tenacious Vishmi Gunaratne, who returned to the field after earlier being stretchered off with a knee injury.

Silva was the first to depart, misjudging a shot to deep midwicket. Substitute fielder Anneke Bosch executed a sharp run-out to eliminate Anushka Sanjeewani, and Gunaratne then edged the final ball, which was cleanly caught by teenage World Cup debutant Karabo Meso.

After a rain delay of over five hours, Sri Lanka had just eight overs to capitalize. Despite some moments of resistance, the home team fell short, allowing South Africa to claim a comfortable win.

Published on Oct 17, 2025.