Southampton, June 16 (IANS) New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in the seventh match of Group 2 of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, on Tuesday.

After winning the toss, New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr opted to bat first, citing similarities with the conditions from the previous match. Kerr felt the surface looked good for batting and backed her side to put up a strong total. While she expected the wicket to slow down slightly as the game progressed, she remained hopeful that it would stay true despite the reduced 40-over format.

Reflecting on New Zealand’s previous outing, Kerr admitted the team’s fielding standards had slipped. She said dropped catches and inconsistent bowling had cost her side valuable runs, but stressed that it was not a skill issue. Backing the same playing XI, Kerr expressed confidence that her team could bounce back by improving their execution and intensity in the field.

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu revealed that her side would have preferred to bowl first had they won the toss. However, she acknowledged the challenge of adapting to unfamiliar conditions and emphasised the importance of playing their best cricket regardless of the circumstances.

Athapaththu also confirmed that Sri Lanka had made three changes to their playing XI. Looking ahead to the contest, she identified bowling discipline as the key area for improvement, saying her side needed to be more consistent with their line and length if they were to challenge New Zealand effectively.

Playing XIs:

Sri Lanka Women: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Vishmi Gunaratne, Hasini Perera, Harshitha Madavi Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Kaushani Nuthyangana (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Kawya Kavindi, Nimasha Madushani, Mithali Ayodhya

New Zealand Women: Isabella Gaze (wk), Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr (c), Sophie Devine, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Izzy Sharp, Jess Kerr, Nensi Patel, Rosemary Mair, Bree Illing

–IANS

hs/bsk/