Sri Lanka Women pulled off an impressive five-wicket victory over New Zealand Women in Match 7 of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at The Rose Bowl, chasing down a target of 151 with two balls to spare. While New Zealand posted a competitive 150/6 thanks to identical 45-run knocks from Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr, Sri Lanka held their nerve during the chase as Nilakshi de Silva‘s unbeaten 54 guided the side home. Despite ending on the losing side, Kerr produced one of the standout moments of the match with a sensational run-out that briefly lifted New Zealand’s hopes.
Amelia Kerr’s direct hit gets rid of Hasini Perera
The moment arrived on the final ball of the eighth over when Kerr showcased exceptional awareness and athleticism in the field. Bowling around the wicket, she tossed the ball up and watched Hasini Perera work it towards mid-wicket before attempting a quick second run. Kerr immediately sprinted after the ball herself, gathered it cleanly in one motion, spun around, and fired a throw at the striker’s end without hesitation. The ball crashed into the stumps with pinpoint accuracy as Perera desperately dived to make her ground, but the batter was comfortably short of the crease.
The brilliant piece of fielding reduced Sri Lanka to another setback and briefly swung the momentum towards New Zealand. It was the kind of individual effort that underlined Kerr’s all-round value, combining sharp anticipation, quick reflexes and flawless execution under pressure. The dismissal also highlighted New Zealand’s determination to stay in the contest despite Sri Lanka’s steady progress in the chase. The run-out quickly became one of the talking points of the game, with fans praising Kerr’s presence of mind and accuracy in producing a direct hit that required perfect timing.
Sri Lanka hold firm to register a significant victory
Although Kerr’s brilliance injected fresh energy into the New Zealand side, Sri Lanka recovered well through composed batting performances in the middle and death overs. Captain Chamari Athapaththu provided an aggressive start, while Nilakshi de Silva anchored the innings with an unbeaten half-century that ultimately earned her the Player of the Match award. Kaushani Nuthyangana also chipped in with a valuable cameo, helping Sri Lanka maintain the required scoring rate and finish the chase at 153/5 in 19.4 overs. Earlier, New Zealand’s innings had been built around solid contributions from Kerr and Devine, but the total proved just short on a good batting surface.
Also READ: Nilakshi de Silva guides Sri Lanka to memorable win over New Zealand at Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
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