Sri Lanka Women in New Zealand 2025 - Series Digest

March 18

NZ, SL share series spoils as rain abandons 3rd T20I

Rain abandoned play in the third T20I at the University Oval in Dunedin after only 14.1 overs were bowled. As a result, the three-match series ended level at 1-1. After New Zealand were put in to bat, Georgia Plimmer and Suzie Bates got the hosts off to a strong start, courtesy of a 60-run stand in 8.2 overs. However, once Bates departed for 31, Sri Lanka chipped in with a couple of more wickets, reducing New Zealand to 74 for 3 in the 11th over. Izzy Sharp and Plimmer revived the innings briefly before rain ended play, with New Zealand on 101 for 3.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 101/3 in 14.1 overs (Georgia Plimmer 46*, Suzie Bates 31) vs Sri Lanka. No Result

March 16

Bates, Haliday and bowlers star as NZ level series

After losing the opening T20I against Sri Lanka, New Zealand levelled the series in style with a commanding seven-wicket win in the three-match series. Sent in to bat first, Sri Lanka managed only a below-par 113/7 in their 20 overs, a target New Zealand chased down with nine balls to spare.

Suzie Bates was named Player of the Match for her knock of 47 off 46 at the top of the order, complementing her frugal bowling performance (0 for 16 in four overs). Georgia Plimmer fell in the first over to Sugandika Kumari but Bates ensured NZ racked up 39 runs in the powerplay. She lost Emma McLeod soon after but Brooke Halliday stepped up brilliantly in a 43-run stand for the third wicket. When Bates fell, 29 runs were still needed, but Halliday took charge and saw the hosts over the line.

Earlier in the day, NZ's opening bowlers were too good for Sri Lanka, restricting them to 33/2 in the powerplay, with Bree Illing picking up the first two wickets. The innings threatened to fall apart when Chamari Athapaththu was bowled by Jess Kerr in the ninth over, and Kavisha Dilhari followed her soon after to the pavilion. However, a 54-run stand between Manudi Nanayakkara and Nilakshi de Silva helped SL breach the 100-run mark and give themselves something to bowl at. On the day, on a flat Christchurch pitch, it wasn't enough.

Brief Scores: SL 113/7 (Nanayakkara 35; Illing 2-18) lost to NZ 117/3 in 18.3 overs (Bates 47, Halliday 46*) by 7 wickets

March 14

SL record first-ever win on NZ soil

An excellent bowling performance led by debutant Malki Madara and a typically belligerent unbeaten 64 from Chamari Athapaththu led Sri Lanka to their first-ever away win over New Zealand in any format, in the opening T20I of the series. Sri Lanka's bowlers reduced the reigning world champions to a paltry 101 before chasing down that total in just 14.1 overs.

Suzie Bates, who won the toss and opted to bat, will not have envisioned the sequence of events especially after she had led her team to a rapid start. The White Ferns were 39/1 in the fifth over before Bates became Madara's first wicket in international cricket. Spinner Kavisha Dilhari then took over and inflicted big blows to the New Zealand middle order by dismissing Brooke Halliday and Izzy Sharp. She also played a hand in the run-out of Maddy Green.

Emma McLeod tried to put the hosts back on track with a sedate 44 but continued to run out of partners at the other end. She was the last batter dismissed as Madara ended with figures of 3 for 14 to close out the New Zealand innings with seven balls to spare.

Once Athapaththu got going in a 46-run opening stand, the result was a foregone conclusion. The veteran batter struck nine four and two sixes and remained unbeaten as her team comfortably crossed the line.

Brief scores:New Zealand 101 in 18.5 overs (Emma McLeod 44; Malki Madara 3-14, Kavisha Dilhari 2-18) lost to Sri Lanka 102/3 in 14.1 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 64*; Jess Kerr 2-18) by 7 wickets

March 9