New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, T20 World Cup 2024 Highlights: New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets

Sugandika Kumari to Georgia Plimmer, Dealing in singles at the moment! Fuller and on middle. This is pushed down to long on for one. 

Udeshika Prabodani to Suzie Bates, A dot to end! Another tidy over. Fuller and outside off. Bates looks to drive but this goes off the inner half to mid off. 

Udeshika Prabodani to Georgia Plimmer, Good stuff from Lanka so far! Not giving anything away! Fullish and on middle. This is eased down to long on. One more single. 

Udeshika Prabodani to Georgia Plimmer, Another dot! Fuller and on middle. This is driven back to the bowler. 

Udeshika Prabodani to Georgia Plimmer, Just wide! On the pads. Plimmer looks to flick. This one holds in the surface a touch. It goes uppishly but wide of square leg. A run taken. 

Udeshika Prabodani to Georgia Plimmer, Plimmer makes room. This is fuller and she's followed. She plays it to mid on. The keeper comes up to the stumps now. 

Udeshika Prabodani to Suzie Bates, Bates uses her feet to the pacer as well. This is on middle. It is worked through mid-wicket for one. 

Sugandika Kumari to Suzie Bates, A single to end a tidy first over! Bates gets into position early to play the reverse sweep. She gently taps it towards point and takes one. 

Sugandika Kumari to Georgia Plimmer, She's off the mark now! Steps out and then eases it down to long on as the length is shorter. A run taken. 

Sugandika Kumari to Georgia Plimmer, Tossed up nicely and on off. Plimmer pushes it back from where it came. 

Sugandika Kumari to Suzie Bates, New Zealand and Bates are underway! Shortish and on middle. This skids through. Bates looks to pull, it goes off the inner half on the leg side for one. 

Sugandika Kumari to Suzie Bates, Steps out but gets a little too close to the pitch of the ball. Can't get under it once that close. She just jams it out back to the bowler. 

Sugandika Kumari to Suzie Bates, Starts off with a flatter ball around off. This is pushed to cover. 

Welcome back. The players and umpires return to the park. Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer are the openers for the New Zealand Women. It will be Sugandika Kumari with the ball for Sri Lanka Women. Here we go!

…THE RUN CHASE…

Right then, New Zealand Women need 116 in 20 overs to keep their chances alive and kicking in the competition. They will have to bat well as Sri Lanka Women have good bowlers in their ranks. Can they do it or will Sri Lanka Women get their first win of the tournament? We shall find out. Join us in a bit for the second essay. 

Leigh Kasperek is up for a chat. She says that it was pretty warm. Adds that they got off to a solid start but are glad about how they pulled things back. Mentions that she knew it was going to be hot but lauds the girls on the sidelines who keep them cool in these conditions. Shares that the pitch is good and it is coming out nicely, but adds that it is a little bit sticky and they can chase it down.

For New Zealand Women, Leigh Kasperek and Melie Kerr were the pick of the bowlers with two wickets each while Eden Carson got the solitary wicket of Vishmi Gunarathne. They bowled and fielded according to plans but managed only the solitary wicket in the first ten overs. The White Ferns did well in the second half to take a few quick wickets in a heap which restricted the run scoring for Sri Lanka Women. 

A much better batting effort from Sri Lanka Women helps them post their highest score of the tournament. Batting first, Sri Lanka Women lost Vishmi Gunarathne early but Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama batted well and 48 for the second wicket. The dismissal of Chamari Athapaththu brought a mini slide as the Asian side were reduced to 97 for 5. Nilakshika Silva and Ama Kanchana made handy runs in the lower order and finished with a competitive total.

Leigh Kasperek to Ama Kanchana, A couple to end the innings! Floated, full, on the middle and leg. Ama Kanchana skips down and lofts it toward long-on for a two more. Sri Lanka Women end with a fighting score of 115 for 5.

Leigh Kasperek to Nilakshika Silva, Fired in at the stumps. Nilakshika Silva drills it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Leigh Kasperek to Ama Kanchana, In the air but safe! Tossed up on off. Ama Kanchana miscues the slog toward mid-wicket region and it falls in no man's land. Single taken.

Leigh Kasperek to Nilakshika Silva, Fired in full, around off. Nilakshika Silva comes down the pitch and slogs it toward deep mid-wicket for one.

Leigh Kasperek to Nilakshika Silva, Pitched full, outside off. Nilakshika Silva skips down and drives it uppishly through extra cover for two more.

Leigh Kasperek to Nilakshika Silva, Tosses it full, on off. Nilakshika Silva charges down and lifts it back over the bowler toward long on for a brace.

Rosemary Mair to Ama Kanchana, Length, on off. Ama Kanchana drags it toward deep mid-wicket for a couple.

Rosemary Mair to Ama Kanchana, On a length, outside off. Swing and a miss from Ama Kanchana.

Rosemary Mair to Nilakshika Silva, Shortish length on the stumps. Nilakshika Silva pulls it to deep square leg for a single.

Rosemary Mair to Ama Kanchana, Full and at the stumps. Lofted toward wide of long-on and they settle for a single.

Rosemary Mair to Ama Kanchana, Pitched full, on off. Ama Kanchana lifts it toward long on for a couple.

Rosemary Mair to Ama Kanchana, Slower, fuller, and wide outside off. Ama Kanchana drives and misses.

Melie Kerr to Ama Kanchana, Flighted on off. Ama Kanchana gets low and sweeps it to deep backward square leg for one. 100 comes up for Sri Lanka Women.

Melie Kerr to Nilakshika Silva, Flatter on the middle and leg. Swept to fine leg for a single.

Melie Kerr to Nilakshika Silva, Wrong'un, on the middle and leg. Nilakshika Silva plays across the line and gets a thud on the pad.

Melie Kerr to Nilakshika Silva, Floated leg break, on off. Nilakshika Silva prods and defends.

Melie Kerr to Ama Kanchana, Tossed up on off. Nudged toward square leg for one.

Ama Kanchana is in next.

Melie Kerr to Kaveesha Dilhari, OUT! LBW! Appeal and up goes the finger. Tosses it full, on off. Kaveesha Dilhari gets on her knees for the sweep but she misses and gets stuck in front. The on-field umpire has given it OUT. Kaveesha Dilhari takes the review. Three Reds on ball tracking. Kaveesha Dilhari is a goner. Sri Lanka Women have lost half their side. 

Leigh Kasperek to Kaveesha Dilhari, Kaveesha Dilhari gets to the pitch of the ball and drives it to extra cover for one. This is now the highest score of the tournament for Sri Lanka Women. 

Leigh Kasperek to Nilakshika Silva, Tossed up on off. Nilakshika Silva turns it round the corner for one.

Leigh Kasperek to Kaveesha Dilhari, Touch short, on off. Kaveesha Dilhari pulls it toward deep square leg for a single.

Leigh Kasperek to Nilakshika Silva, Floated on off. Swept through mid-wicket for one.

Leigh Kasperek to Nilakshika Silva, FOUR! BANG! What a way to start. Tossed up, on off. Nilakshika Silva gets low and sweeps it to the deep square leg region for a boundary to get off the mark.

Nilakshika Silva is in at 6.

Leigh Kasperek to Anushka Sanjeewani, OUT! SHARP CATCH! Leigh Kasperek tosses it full, on off. Anushka Sanjeewani skips down the pitch and lifts it off the toe end toward wide of mid-off. She wanted to clear the infield but did not get the desired connection. Sophie Devine runs back from mid-off and takes a sharp running catch. Sri Lanka Women are four down.

Sophie Devine to Anushka Sanjeewani, Back of a length, around off. Anushka Sanjeewani cuts it to extra cover for a single.

Sophie Devine to Anushka Sanjeewani, Length ball, on the middle. Anushka Sanjeewani pulls it toward deep square leg for a couple.

Sophie Devine to Kaveesha Dilhari, Length ball, around off. Kaveesha Dilhari pulls it toward long-on for one.

Sophie Devine to Kaveesha Dilhari, WIDE! Too full and just outside the tramline. Kaveesha Dilhari reaches for it and misses. Given as a wide.

Sophie Devine to Anushka Sanjeewani, Length ball, outside off. Anushka Sanjeewani steers it toward covers and a misfield allows the run.