Women’s T20 WC: Kerr’s heroics guides NZ to 102-run win over Sri Lanka

An all-round efficiency by Amelia Kerr and excellent present by bowlers helped New Zealand crush Sri Lanka by 102 runs of their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match on Monday to make it possible for Group 1 goes down the wire.

With this win, New Zealand has climbed up to second place within the factors desk with two wins in 4 matches and two losses. They have a complete of 4 factors. Sri Lanka additionally has the identical statistics however is in third place due to its inferior net-run charge.

Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr mixed for a second wicket stand of 110, their nation’s third-highest ever on the event, to elevate their facet to an imposing 162 for 3.

Sri Lanka was meek in reply, rolled for 60 to finish their hopes of development to the semi-finals, struggling the second-biggest defeat in T20 World Cup historical past within the course of.

New Zealand preached positivity within the lead-up and Bernadine Bezuidenhout epitomised that method, crushing a collection of fours by the leg facet when the bowling was too straight.

She raced to 32 from 20 balls however performed one shot too many off Achini Kulasuriya, spooning a catch to Chamari Athapaththu at mid-off. NZ was 46/1 at that time.

Bates and Kerr dropped anchor with the previous choosing up the place she left off within the win over Bangladesh, piercing the sphere fantastically with the primary two balls of the ninth over.

The pair didn’t rating at an categorical tempo however Kerr selected Athapaththu’s thirteenth over to speed up, cowl driving for 4 after which whipping by sq. leg to make it 93 for one.

Sri Lanka’s fielding was lacklustre – Bezuidenhout was given two early reprieves, Nilakshi de Silva shelling a straightforward probability to get Bates and a point-blank run-out missed in a while.

Kerr introduced up her maiden T20I half-century off 40 balls and Bates her twenty fourth within the closing phases.

The White Ferns rattled alongside to a high-quality complete regardless of Bates being stumped for 56 off 49 balls and Kerr run out for 66 off 48 balls within the last over.

Sri Lanka coasted to 22 with out loss in reply earlier than capitulating.

Harshitha Samarawickrama (8) holed out to deep midwicket off Eden Carson’s off-spin after which Bates took a stunner operating again from mid-on to dismiss 17-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne for a duck.

Nilakshi de Silva swiped at a yorker and was clear bowled for a duck to go away Sri Lanka floundering on 24 for 3.

Athapaththu (19) briefly remained among the many rubble however the hammer blow got here when the captain was trapped in entrance by Amelia Kerr, given not out on area, a choice overturned on evaluation.

The collapse continued when Anushka Sanjeewani chopped onto her stumps off Lea Tahuhu and the fast acquired one other in her subsequent over when Kavisha Dilhari patted to further cowl.

18-year-old Fran Jonas struck in her first over, bowling Oshadi Ranasinghe for 3, and Sugandika Kumari was skilfully run out by Bezuidenhout at 48 for eight.

After a quick resistance from Malsha Shehani (10) and Inoka Ranaweera (5), the previous was bowled by the excellent Amelia Kerr and Achini Kulasuriya not batting due to damage.

Besides Kerr, Lea Tahuhu picked up 2/12 in her 4 overs. Eden Carson, Jess Kerr, Hannah Rowe, Fran Jonas took a wicket every.

Amelia was named because the ‘Player of the Match’ for her all-round efficiency.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 162/3 (Amelia Kerr 66, Suzie Bates 56; Achini Kulasuriya 1/14) beat Sri Lanka 60 all out in 15.5 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 19, Malsha Shehani 10; Amelia Kerr 2/7).

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