Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits lead Proteas fourth consecutive victory at ICC World Cup

Sri Lanka: 105/7 (Vismhi Gunaratne 34; Nonkululeko Mlaba 3/30)
South Africa: 125/0 (Laura Wolvaardt 60 not out; Tazmin Brits 55 not out)

South Africa won by 10 wickets with 31 balls to spare

Proteas women’s captain Laura Wolvaardt guided South Africa to their fourth consecutive victory of the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Wolvaardt played a captain’s knock against Sri Lanka on Friday, reaching an unbeaten 60 off 47 balls including eight boundaries as the right-handed batter continued her rich vein of form over the last couple of games in the showpiece event.

With the game having been reduced to 20 overs per side following showers of rain that lasted over four hours, Sri Lanka had set a target of 121 runs with the Duckworth-Lewis Stern method taking the target to 121 runs to win for South Africa.

Alongside Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits breezed her way to an unbeaten half-century, as she turned her form around following her two consecutive ducks in the last two games against India and Bangladesh in Visakhapatnam.

The pair saw the team across the line with no lost wickets as South Africa secured eight points in the tournament, getting very close to securing a spot in the semi-final stage of the showpiece event. 

Earlier in the match, the expected rain interfered with the proceedings at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

With South Africa having been asked to bowl first by Sri Lanka captain Chamira Athapaththu, South Africa got off to a good start with the ball, with seam bowler Masabata Klaas striking early.

Klaas accounted for Hasini Perera (4), as she bowled out the right-handed batter inside the opening eight overs of the game to hand South Africa their first scalp of the day.

Klaas would strike again in her very next over, getting the big wicket of Sri Lanka captain herself Athapaththu (11), further putting the hosts in trouble.

Shortly after, the heavens opened, putting the two teams on a five-hour break due to rain.

However, the ground staff at the R Premadasa Stadium covered the entire playing field, a feat that allowed the game to continue with Sri Lanka setting 121 runs to win for South Africa (DLS).

Spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba dominated after the rain break, returning figures of 3/30. 

South Africa head into their next fixture against Pakistan on Monday with eight points and looking to secure a spot in the semi-final of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.