Nilakshika Silva blasted the fastest fifty of the World Cup to drag Sri Lanka to a record total, only for the skies to call stumps before New Zealand could even face a ball.
Sri Lanka’s hopes of celebrating a rare World Cup high were dampened—literally—when their clash with New Zealand was abandoned without a result after rain washed away the second innings in Colombo. It was a cruel end for Nilakshika Silva, who had just lit up the tournament with a stunning 55 off 28 balls, the fastest half-century of this year’s competition.
Having chosen to bat first, Sri Lanka looked steady but unspectacular through the first 40 overs, their scoring rate stubbornly stuck under five. Chamari Athapaththu anchored with a composed 53, and Vishmi Gunaratne and Hasini Perera chipped in, but chances were squandered. New Zealand’s sloppy fielding compounded matters. Athapaththu was given a life on 12 after a faint edge went unnoticed, Gunaratne survived an lbw call by a whisker, and catches were repeatedly spilled by Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, and Izzy Gaze behind the stumps.
By the 40th over, Sri Lanka were crawling at 183 for 2, but when three wickets tumbled quickly, it seemed the innings would collapse. That was until Silva arrived with intent and timing. Seven crisp boundaries and the lone six of the innings transformed the tempo, delivering 80 runs in the final ten overs. Her late blitz, capped by three fours in a 16-run last over, carried Sri Lanka to 258 for 6, their second-highest total in a World Cup match.
New Zealand’s bowling was mixed. Sophie Devine picked up three wickets but conceded 54 from her nine overs, with Bree Illing and Rosemary Mair chipping in with a wicket apiece. Yet it was the fielding errors—missed stumpings, dropped catches, and misfields that turned a competitive chase into a mountain of regret.
As the rain swept in, denying even a ball of New Zealand’s reply, both sides were forced to share the points. For Sri Lanka, it meant their momentum after Silva’s record knock dissolved into frustration. For New Zealand, it was a reprieve after one of their sloppiest outings of the tournament.
In the end, the scorecard showed balance, but the narrative was clear: Sri Lanka finally found their batting spark, only for rain and New Zealand’s butterfingers to rob them of the chance to convert it into victory.
