Sri Lanka Women Stun New Zealand in T20 World Cup Thriller

Sri Lanka Women stun the Champions - Absolute scenes at the Rose Bowl in Southampton! Sri Lanka have pulled off a special win in the Women's T20 World Cup, beating New Zealand for the first time in the tournament's history and throwing Group B wide open. For the defending champions, though, it's crisis time, back-to-back defeats have left their title defence and semi-final hopes hanging by a thread.

19.4 Overs Score153 - 5 Sophie Devine to Kaushini Nuthyangana, FOUR! Sri Lanka Women have pulled off a historic win as they defeated New Zealand Women by 5 wickets. Good length, on middle and off, Kaushini Nuthyangana flicks this through the square leg region and the ball has raced to the fence for four runs. Sealing the game. What a game we have witnessed.

19.3 Overs Score149 - 5 Sophie Devine to Nilakshika Silva, Yorker, on off, Nilakshika Silva pushes this towards the right of short covers and crosses for one. The fielder has a shy at the non-striker's end but misses.

19.2 Overs Score148 - 5 Sophie Devine to Nilakshika Silva, Sophie Devine comes back well. Darts in a yorker, around the pads. Nilakshika Silva fails to flick it away, gets nutmegged and the ball goes back to the keeper. Kaushini Nuthyangana was looking to sneak in a bye but the throw comes in quickly from the keeper and the batters retreat in time.

19.1 Overs Score148 - 5 Sophie Devine to Nilakshika Silva, Back of a length, on middle and leg, Nilakshika Silva goes for the pull, gets it away from around the sticker of her bat, in between deep square leg and fine leg. Runs two. 3 needed in 5 balls.

Sri Lanka Women need 5 runs in the final over. All three results are still possible, but the Lankans will feel they have the upper hand here. Sophie Devine has been trusted with the responsibility of bowling the last over. Can she pull off something special here?

18.6 Overs Score146 - 5 Rosemary Mair to Kaushini Nuthyangana, Terrific running between the wickets here. Rosemary Mair dishes this in the line of the stumps, looking to cramp the batter on her leg side. Kaushini Nuthyangana rolls this through mid on towards the right of long on. Silva pushes Kaushini for the second and they comeplete that with ease.

18.5 Overs Score144 - 5 Rosemary Mair to Nilakshika Silva, Mair goes full and on middle and leg, Silva gets it away from the inner portion of her bat to long on for one.

18.4 Overs Score143 - 5 Rosemary Mair to Kaushini Nuthyangana, Full toss, on middle and leg, Kaushini Nuthyangana slogs this to the left of the deep mid-wicket fielder for another single. 8 needed in 8 balls now!

18.3 Overs Score141 - 5 Rosemary Mair to Kaushini Nuthyangana, FOUR! ​​Kaushini Nuthyangana finds the gap for four runs. On a length, around middle and off, Kaushini Nuthyangana gets right underneath it and flicks this in the gap between the long on and deep mid-wicket region for for more runs.

18.2 Overs Score137 - 5 Rosemary Mair to Nilakshika Silva, Slower one, on a length, around middle and leg, Nilakshika Silva gets it away to deep backward square leg for a single to bring up her FIFTY. This has come under immense pressure but she knows that the job is not done yet.

17.6 Overs Score135 - 5 Amelia Kerr to Nilakshika Silva, FOUR! Another misfield and one turns to four here. Tossed up, around off, Nilakshika Silva goes down on her knee and sweeps this straight to the deep backward square leg fielder. The fielder fumbles and the ball bounces over the fence for four more runs.

17.4 Overs Score130 - 5 Amelia Kerr to Nilakshika Silva, Tossed up, around off, turning away from the batter. Nilakshika Silva gets an inside edge as she looks to sweep this. The ball goes through her legs to the left of the keeper for one.

17.3 Overs Score129 - 5 Amelia Kerr to Nilakshika Silva, FOUR! Top shot from Nilakshika Silva. Flighted around off, Nilakshika Silva jumps down the ground, stays leg side to the ball and drives this through the covers region for a boundary.

16.6 Overs Score123 - 5 Bree Illing to Kaushini Nuthyangana, FOUR! This is exactly what the doctor ordered for SL. Full and wide outside off, Kaushini Nuthyangana drags this with a slog in the gap between the long on and deep mid-wicket fielder for four runs.

16.5 Overs Score119 - 5 Bree Illing to Nilakshika Silva, On a length, around off, Nilakshika Silva chops this off her underedge towards short third for one. A fumble as Silva was keen on the second but had to retreat.

16.4 Overs Score118 - 5 Bree Illing to Nilakshika Silva, FOUR! Silva gets cheeky and is rewarded as well. Silva celebrates this boundary as a winning stroke too. Such is the tense atmosphere here. Good length, around off, Nilakshika Silva shuffles across the stumps and ramps this over a very fine short fine leg fielder for four runs.

16.3 Overs Score114 - 5 Bree Illing to Nilakshika Silva, Bree bowls it on a hard length, going down the leg side. Nilakshika Silva down the ground and away from her stumps to free her arms with a lofted stroke over cover but misses out.

It has started to drizzle now here at the Rose Bowl. A few umbrellas go up in the crowd, and the groundstaff and getting ready near the ropes. But for now, we continue.

15.3 Overs Score109 - 5 Nensi Patel to Kaushini Nuthyangana, Tossed up, around off, turning back into the batter. Kaushini Nuthyangana sweeps this one. Gets it top-edged through square leg for a couple of runs.

Mix-up against the run of play and the 50-run stand is broken now. Kaushini Nuthyangana is the next batter in. Also, we can see that Amelia Kerr is receiving treatment on her left foot, and she is hobbling, which is not a good sign for the Kiwis.

14.6 Overs Score105 - 5 Rosemary Mair to Nilakshika Silva, OUT! KAVISHA DILHARI IS RUN OUT! An absolute gift for New Zealand Women. Rosemary Mair lands this on a good length and around leg, Nilakshika Silva clips it towards square leg and turns around for the second run. Jess Kerr from short fine is quick to run towards the ball and seeing that, Dilhari turns back and is caught ball watching and Silva is also at the same end, but Dilhari sacrifices herself here. Kerr throws it at the bowler's end, where Rosemary Mair does the rest. Sri Lanka Women are 105/5, chasing 151 runs.

14.3 Overs Score102 - 4 Rosemary Mair to Nilakshika Silva, SIX! Misjudgment in the deep! Pitched up and down the leg, following the batter, Nilakshika Silva uses her feet and whips it towards deep mid-wicket. Sophie Devine is standing a few yards ahead of the ropes and tries to grab it with her outstretched right hand. The ball hits the fingerips and lands on the cushions on the full for a biggie.

DRINKS! New Zealand holds a slight upper hand, leaving Sri Lanka needing exactly 57 runs off the final 36 deliveries with 6 wickets remaining. After a sudden cluster of mid-innings wickets derailed the early chase, Nilakshika Silva and Kavisha Dilhari have steadied the ship with a threatening partnership that is beginning to worry the White Ferns. Sri Lanka's hopes rest massively on this duo batting deep into the 17th or 18th over to keep the required run rate manageable, while New Zealand is searching for a single breakthrough to expose and dismantle a fragile Sri Lankan lower order. Rosemary Mair (2-1-6-0) is back into the attack.

13.6 Overs Score94 - 4 Jess Kerr to Kavisha Dilhari, Fuller once more, on off, Kavisha Dilhari comes forward and taps it to short cover. She wants the run but is sent back.

13.5 Overs Score94 - 4 Jess Kerr to Nilakshika Silva, Pitched up and on the pads, Nilakshika Silva clips it through square leg for one.

13.4 Overs Score93 - 4 Jess Kerr to Nilakshika Silva, FOUR! Excellent shot! A half-volley and around off, Nilakshika Silva backs away to make some room and smashes it past extra cover for a boundary.

13.3 Overs Score89 - 4 Jess Kerr to Nilakshika Silva, Full again and on off, Nilakshika Silva moves across a bit and drives it square towards point, where Nensi Patel lets it through and the batters hesitates for the second but gets it in the end.