Southampton, June 15 (IANS) A first win of the tournament will be on the line when New Zealand take on Sri Lanka in Group B, with both teams looking to bounce back from disappointing starts to their Women’s T20 World Cup campaigns. Neither side managed to collect points in their opening fixture, making this encounter an important opportunity to revive their semi-final hopes before the group stage gathers momentum.

New Zealand were left frustrated after a strong batting display against West Indies failed to translate into victory. The total appeared competitive, but West Indies found answers through captain Hayley Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle. The latter’s unbeaten 90 guided her team home with an over to spare, handing New Zealand a seven-wicket defeat.

Despite the loss, there were positives for New Zealand. Halliday has emerged as the team’s leading scorer in the tournament with 40 runs, while Jess Kerr heads the bowling charts with two wickets.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, endured a far tougher opening assignment against England. Asked to chase a daunting 220, they were immediately put under pressure after England’s batters dominated proceedings. Danielle Wyatt-Hodge’s century and Amy Jones’ half-century powered England to 219 for one, leaving Sri Lanka with a mountain to climb. The chase never truly got going as wickets fell regularly. Sri Lanka were eventually dismissed for 132.

With Group B beginning to take shape, this fixture could prove pivotal. A victory would not only provide a much-needed confidence boost but also keep qualification aspirations firmly alive heading into the next round of matches.

When: Tuesday, June 16, 7:00 PM IST

Where: The Rose Bowl, Southampton

Where to watch: The NZ vs SL match will be broadcast on Star Sports channels, with JioHotstar live-streaming the game.

Squads:

New Zealand: Melie Kerr (c), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Sharp, Lea Tahuhu

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunarathne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Imesha Dulani, Nilakshika Silva, Kaveesha Dilhari, Hansima Karunarathne, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Sugandika Dassanayaka, Nimasha Madushani, Shashini Gimhani, Kawya Kavindi, Malki Madara, Mithali Ayodhya

–IANS

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