New Zealand cruise to win after Sri Lanka’s late collapse

Friday, 18 March 2016 00:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

ESPNCricinfo: New Zealand Women began their World T20 campaign with an easy seven-wicket win after a late collapse restricted Sri Lanka Women to 110 for 8 in Delhi.

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat, and their opening pair of Chamari Atapattu and Yasoda Mendis stitched together a 39-run partnership. Mendis and Dilani Manodara built on that base, taking Sri Lanka to a promising position of 82 for 1 by the 13th over. The loss of Mendis to Amy Satterthwaite, however, sparked off a slide that undid the work of the top order.

Manodara fell in the 15th over, after top-scoring with a 31-ball 37, and her wicket meant that the impetus Sri Lanka needed in the final leg of the innings did not materialize. They scraped a mere 23 runs off their last six overs for the loss of six wickets. Offspinner Leigh Kasperek took 2 for 19 but Sri Lanka also lost as many as three batsmen - including Manodara and captain Shashikala Siriwardene – to run-outs.

New Zealand’s chase of 111 was clinical, despite a minor blip when they lost three wickets in as many overs. The openers, Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest, gave them early control adding 64 in the first 10 overs. Sara McGlashan and Satterthwaite then struck a flurry of boundaries to take New Zealand home with 25 balls to spare.

Chief Scores: New Zealand Women 111 for 3 (Bates 37) beat Sri Lanka Women 110 for 8 (Manodara 37) by seven wickets