Sri Lanka has defeated South Africa by five runs in the Women’s T20 World Cup, pulling off a huge upset against the tournament hosts at Newlands on Saturday morning AEDT.
South Africa fell agonisingly short of the 130-run target in front of a record crowd of 8402 in Cape Town to get their campaign off to a disappointing start.
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After South Africa won the toss and elected to field first, Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu, later named Player of the Match, smacked 68 (50) to help her side register 4-129 in the first innings.
It was her third half-century in T20 World Cups; she remains the only Sri Lankan to achieve the feat in the women’s edition of the tournament.
Athapaththu combined with teenager Vishmi Gunaratne (35 from 34 balls) for an 86-run partnership for the second wicket before the youngster was run out in the 18th over, sparking a late collapse of 3-9 from 11 balls.
Marizanne Kapp was the pick of the South African bowlers, conceding just 15 runs from her four overs.
In response, Sri Lankan spinner Inoka Ranaweera wreaked havoc with three wickets, including the crucial scalps of veteran all-rounder Marizanne Kapp and opening batter Laura Wolvaardt.
South African skipper Sune Luus top-scored with a patient 28 (27) before becoming Ranaweera’s third victim in the penultimate over, with the hosts still needing 17 runs from nine balls – and the tail couldn’t get the job done.
South Africa was without former captain Dane van Niekerk, who was omitted from the T20 World Cup squad after she failed a fitness test on the eve of the tournament. The 29-year-old watched from the commentary box as her teammates crumbled in the run chase.
Van Niekerk averages 57.40 in successful T20I run chases, scoring seven fifties in the second innings throughout her 86-match career. No South African in history has scored more half-centuries in successful women’s T20I run chases.
Meanwhile, former South African opener Lizelle Lee, the nation’s leading run-getter in successful women’s T20I run chases, is plying her trade for Tasmania in the WNCL. The 30-year-old retired from international cricket last year after failing to meet Cricket South Africa’s fitness requirements.
Australia gets its T20 World Cup campaign underway on Sunday morning, facing trans-Tasman rivals in a mouth-watering contest in Paarl, with the first ball scheduled for 4am AEDT.
The reigning champions, who suffered a shock loss to Ireland during a warm-up fixture earlier this week, have never played international cricket in South Africa.
“I think there are a lot of things to take out of the warm-up,” Australian coach Shelley Nitschke told reporters on Thursday.
“We went down in the game, so there are going to be some learnings to come out of that. I think it’s a really timely reminder of T20 cricket. If you’re not quite on, the game can get quite big on you.”
Aussies fall to Ireland in WC warm-up | 00:33
