New Zealand's Women's T20 World Cup dream hangs by a thread after they were sent crashing out of contention with a shock five-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in Southampton. This is now their third consecutive defeat, leaving the White Ferns reeling and staring down the barrel at an early exit from the tournament – a far cry from the favourites' tag that was bestowed upon them before a ball was bowled.
The Black Caps equivalent, Sri Lanka, were desperate for a win after losing to England in their opening match. But on this occasion, they proved they're made of sterner stuff, chasing down New Zealand's target of 151 with just two balls to spare. Nilakshi de Silva was the architect of their success, smashing an unbeaten 54 from 37 deliveries – a performance that left her teammates in awe.
New Zealand's fielding woes continued to plague them, as they put down three more opportunities for Sri Lanka to take control. The most glaring error came when fast bowler Bree Illing dropped the ball at short fine leg off Melie Kerr's bowling, allowing de Silva to capitalise and steer her team towards victory.
The writing was already on the wall after Sri Lanka's top order crumbled to 55-4, but de Silva showed no signs of panic. She forged a crucial 50-run partnership with Kaveesha Dilhari – who unfortunately fell short of making it count – before finding further support from Kaushani Nuthyangana (24 not out). Meanwhile, New Zealand's batting line-up looked as though they were sleepwalking their way to the finish, managing only 38-1 in the powerplay. Captain Melie Kerr and Sophie Devine both chipped in with a 45 apiece to help them reach 150-6, but it wasn't enough.
This latest defeat is a massive blow for New Zealand, who were hot favourites to secure one of the top two spots in Group 2 alongside England. For Sri Lanka, however, this victory has given them new lease on life and kept their hopes of progressing beyond the group stage very much alive – despite an opening drubbing by England.