Colombo, 18 October (H.S.): Dominant half-centuries from Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits propelled South Africa to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka, marking their fourth consecutive win in the Women’s ODI World Cup. In a match shortened to 20 overs due to rain, the Proteas effortlessly chased down a revised target of 121 with 31 balls to spare.Sri Lanka’s innings was disrupted early by a lengthy rain delay after they had reached 46/2.

Before the interruption, opener Vishmi Gunaratne played some attractive shots before a fielder’s throw struck her left knee, forcing her to retire hurt. Masabata Klaas dealt early blows by dismissing captain Chamari Athapaththu and Hasini Perera.

After the match resumed, Sri Lanka showed aggressive intent but was consistently pegged back. Gunaratne bravely returned to bat, but a superb final over from Nonkululeko Mlaba, who claimed two wickets for just four runs, restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 105/7.

In response, the South African opening pair of Wolvaardt (60*) and Brits (55*) began the chase with composure, seeing off the new ball before systematically dismantling the Sri Lankan attack. They rotated the strike effectively and found the boundary with ease, giving the hosts no opportunity to get back into the contest.

The match was decisively sealed in the 13th over when the duo plundered four boundaries off Kavisha Dilhari. The partnership, their seventh-century stand in ODIs, guided South Africa to a commanding win, which was also the nation’s sixth 10-wicket victory in Women’s ODIs.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar