Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits produced a commanding batting display as the Proteas Women secured a dominant 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka via the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method in their rain-interrupted ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 encounter in Colombo on Friday.
Player of the Match Wolvaardt (60* off 47 balls; 8 fours) anchored the chase with a fluent half-century, while Brits (55* off 42 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes) provided excellent support in an unbroken century stand. Their efforts saw South Africa comfortably chase down the revised target of 121 with 31 balls to spare.
Earlier, impressive bowling from Nonkululeko Mlaba (3/30) and Masabata Klaas (2/18) restricted Sri Lanka to 105/7 in their reduced 20-over innings.
After being asked to bowl first, South Africa made early inroads. Sri Lankan opener Vishmi Gunaratne (34) was forced to retire hurt after being struck on the knee while completing a run in the fifth over. Klaas then struck twice in quick succession, bowling Hasini Perera (4) and trapping captain Chamari Athapaththu (12) LBW, leaving the hosts reeling at 37/2 after 10 overs.
Persistent rain then halted play at the end of the 12th over with Sri Lanka on 46/2. Following a delay of more than five hours, the match resumed as a 20-over-a-side contest, with the home side resuming their innings.
Upon resumption of play, Kavisha Dilhari (14) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (13) attempted to rebuild, adding quick runs to take Sri Lanka to 63/2. However, both fell in succession, Samarawickrama to Mlaba and Dilhari to Nadine de Klerk (1/23), halting the momentum once more.
Despite the setbacks, Sri Lanka added 40 valuable runs for the fifth wicket through Nilakshika Silva (18) and the returning Gunaratne. Mlaba, however, had the final say, delivering an excellent final over that produced two wickets and a run-out to close the innings on 105/7.
In pursuit of the DLS-adjusted target of 121, the South African openers wasted no time in asserting their dominance. Wolvaardt and Brits played with authority, bringing up their 50-run stand inside eight overs, with Wolvaardt going on to reach her 37th One-Day International fifty in the 13th over.
Brits then sealed the result in style, clearing the boundary for her second six of the evening to not only reach her third career fifty but also hand South Africa a comprehensive 10-wicket victory. The win marked the Proteas Women’s fourth consecutive triumph in the tournament, propelling them into second place on the standings.
South Africa will next face Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday, 21 October, in what will be their penultimate match of the league phase.
