CWG 2022: South Africa end their campaign with comprehensive 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka

South Africa put up a comprehensive performance over Sri Lanka and ended their Commonwealth Games campaign with a win in Birmingham on August 4, Thursday. South Africa’s victory also means that they finish third on the Group B points table, ahead of Sri Lanka, with one win and two losses.

South Africa skipper Sune Luus won the toss and asked Sri Lanka to bat first. The Proteas had the ideal start, provided by pacer Shabnim Ismail, as they dismissed the opening batter, Hasini Perera, on the first ball of the innings. Sri Lankan skipper and opener Chamari Athapaththu, on the other hand, stayed for 29 balls and scored 15 runs to apply some brakes against the relentless South African bowlers.

However, Luus’s side, on the day, proved to be too good for the Asian team, as none of the batters who followed got into double figures. Sri Lanka were eventually bundled out for only 46 runs in 17.1 overs, which is now their lowest total in T20Is.

Nadine de Klerk picks up her career-best figures

South Africa put up one of the best bowling performances of the tournament so far. The pick of the bowlers on the day was pacer Nadine de Klerk, who brought up her career-best bowling figures of 3/7 in four overs with one maiden. Her pace partner Masabata Klaas scalped two wickets for seven runs in three overs, and Shabnim Ismail, Nonkululeko Mlaba and Chloe Tryon got one wicket each.

For South Africa, the chase was virtually academic. Opener Anneke Bosch scored an unbeaten 20 runs off 16 balls, and her partner Tazmin Brits also remained unbeaten with a run-a-ball 21. The chase was complete in only 6.1 overs with ten wickets in hand. Sri Lanka ended their campaign without registering a win in the inaugural women’s cricket event in the Commonwealth Games.

England and New Zealand will lock horns for the final match of the group later on Thursday. The winner of the match will go to the top of the table and face India in the semifinal. The second-placed team will face Australia in the other semifinal. Both the semifinals will take place on Saturday, and the third place play-off and the final will be held on Sunday.