Sri Lanka Girls pulled off a formidable five-wicket victory over New Zealand Girls in Match 7 of the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2026 at The Rose Bowl, chasing down a goal of 151 with two balls to spare. Whereas New Zealand posted a aggressive 150/6 because of an identical 45-run knocks from Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr, Sri Lanka held their nerve through the chase as Nilakshi de Silva‘s unbeaten 54 guided the facet dwelling. Regardless of ending on the shedding facet, Kerr produced one of many standout moments of the match with a sensational run-out that briefly lifted New Zealand’s hopes.
Amelia Kerr’s direct hit removes Hasini Perera
The second arrived on the ultimate ball of the eighth over when Kerr showcased distinctive consciousness and athleticism within the area. Bowling across the wicket, she tossed the ball up and watched Hasini Perera work it in the direction of mid-wicket earlier than trying a fast second run. Kerr instantly sprinted after the ball herself, gathered it cleanly in a single movement, spun round, and fired a throw on the striker’s finish with out hesitation. The ball crashed into the stumps with pinpoint accuracy as Perera desperately dived to make her floor, however the batter was comfortably wanting the crease.
The sensible piece of fielding lowered Sri Lanka to a different setback and briefly swung the momentum in the direction of New Zealand. It was the sort of particular person effort that underlined Kerr’s all-round worth, combining sharp anticipation, fast reflexes and flawless execution beneath stress. The dismissal additionally highlighted New Zealand’s willpower to remain within the contest regardless of Sri Lanka’s regular progress within the chase. The run-out shortly turned one of many speaking factors of the sport, with followers praising Kerr’s presence of thoughts and accuracy in producing a direct hit that required good timing.
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Sri Lanka maintain agency to register a big victory
Though Kerr’s brilliance injected contemporary vitality into the New Zealand facet, Sri Lanka recovered properly via composed batting performances within the center and dying overs. Captain Chamari Athapaththu supplied an aggressive begin, whereas Nilakshi de Silva anchored the innings with an unbeaten half-century that finally earned her the Participant of the Match award. Kaushani Nuthyangana additionally chipped in with a worthwhile cameo, serving to Sri Lanka keep the required scoring charge and end the chase at 153/5 in 19.4 overs. Earlier, New Zealand’s innings had been constructed round strong contributions from Kerr and Devine, however the complete proved simply brief on a very good batting floor.
Additionally READ: Nilakshi de Silva guides Sri Lanka to memorable win over New Zealand at Girls’s T20 World Cup 2026
This text was first revealed at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Instances firm.
