Southampton, June 15 (IANS) New Zealand and Sri Lanka will both be desperate to open their account in Group B when they meet in a crucial Women’s T20 World Cup encounter, with both sides coming into the contest on the back of defeats in their tournament openers.

New Zealand currently sit fourth in the standings after suffering a seven-wicket loss to West Indies despite posting a competitive 162/6. Their batting effort was anchored by Isabella Gaze’s 39 off 29 balls after early setbacks saw Georgia Plimmer and Amelia Kerr depart cheaply. Brooke Halliday and Maddy Green added valuable runs in the latter half of the innings, pushing the total beyond 160.

However, the bowlers were unable to defend it as Hayley Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle turned the chase in the West Indies’ favour. Campbelle’s unbeaten 90 proved decisive as New Zealand slipped to their first defeat of the campaign.

Halliday remains New Zealand’s leading run-scorer in the tournament with 40 runs, while Jess Kerr has been the standout performer with the ball, claiming two wickets.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, find themselves at the bottom of the table following a heavy 87-run defeat to hosts England. Their bowlers endured a difficult outing as England piled up 219 for one, powered by a century from Danielle Wyatt-Hodge and a half-century from Amy Jones.

The chase never gathered momentum for Sri Lanka, who were reduced to 37 for three inside the Powerplay. Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshi de Silva offered some resistance, but the target proved well beyond reach as the innings folded for 132.

Nilakshi leads Sri Lanka’s scoring charts with 39 runs, while Malki Madara is the side’s lone wicket-taker so far in the competition.

With both teams still searching for their first points, the contest carries added significance. Another defeat would leave either side facing an uphill battle to stay in contention for a place in the knockout stage.

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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