19th Match: Netherlands Women v Sri Lanka Women at Christchurch, 10 Dec 2000 CricInfo Live Report

19th Match: Netherlands Women v Sri Lanka Women at Christchurch, 10 Dec 2000
Chris Rosie

: End of innings,
Sri Lanka Women innings: 15 overs, 30 overs,
Netherlands Women innings: 15 overs, 30 overs, End of match,
Pre-game: Toss,

SRI LANKA PREVAIL

However, Sri Lanka were not to be denied. Seneviratne slipped one past the obstinate De Boer to clip her off stump ahnd end her innings at 26. The Netherlands 106 for seven. Cheraldine Oudolf joined de Fouw with 34 runs required but her stay was short, bowled by Indika off her pads with the score at 107.

Sandra Kottman arrived in time to see de Fouw's long stay end for six, bowled by Indika, who claimed the number eleven bat, Elise Reynolds, brilliantly caught behind by Thanuja Ekanayake. The final score was 113 in the 40th over.

The player of the match was Silva with 53 and three for 24. Seneviratne took four, three of them in foujr balls, while Indika took three in cleaning up the tail.

A win to Sri Lanka by 26 runs.

THE NETHERLANDS FIGHT BACK

Rambaldo and de Boer set about the recovery, Rambaldo in particular looked in complete control. So it was a surprise in the 22nd over to see her play all round a straight one from Silva, who had resumed at the southern end, and be clean bowled for 38. The Netherlands 76 for six and the chance of an unlikely victory faded with her departure.

The Sri Lankans maintained a tight line and length - and a vociferous chorus for anything remotely requiring a decision at the umpires' discretion. They also rang the changes. But de Boer and Caroline de Fouw slowly picked up the singles with the very occasional shot in anger. At the end of 30 overs the Netherlands were 98 for six.

SRI LANKAN SENSATION

Netherlands had a horror start in their chase for 140. Maartje Koster was dopped off the first ball from Rasanjali Silva but the reprieve was short-lived. She was caught on the crease and palpably out lbw without a run on the board.

The captain, Pauline te Best, joined the other opener, Helmien Ramaldo. Both Silva and Dona Indralatha were getting enthusiastic support from the field for anything hitting the pads.

The Netherlands pair slowly recovered from the early setback, going through to the nineth over before Te Beest cut and Chamani Seneviratne knocked the ball up and caught it on the second attempt. The captain gone for 12 with the Netherlands 26 for two.

Rowan Milburn joined Ramaldo and the pair took the score through to 43 in the 13th over before Seneviratne was back in the action, this time at the bowling crease. In a sensational over she had Milburn, Caroline Salomons and Tessa van der Gun out with the third, fourth and sixth balls of her second over - all lbw. Forty three for two had become 43 for five.

Teutnje de Boer joined Ramaldo and they managed some recovery, taking the score through to 58 for three at the end of the 15th over.

MATCH IN THE BALANCE

In the 32nd and 33rd overs, the Netherlands brought about another double change, Tessa van der Gun (city end) and Maartje Koster the new bowlers. And the change again brought success. Van der Gun, in the 34th over, made up almost immediately for dropping a return catch from Silva by getting the Sri Lankan captain to lift her back leg and Rowan Milburn behind the stumps did the rest. Silva gone for an aggressive 53 and Sri Lanka 94 for three.

Chandrika Lakmalee joined Abeysinghe long enough to see the 100 up but then became another victim of the van der Gun-Milburn act. Sri Lanka 107 for four.

Chamani Seneviratne entered the fray with Sri Lanka under some pressure. And it told. In the 38th over, the Sri Lankan disease struck again. Abeysinghe and Seneviratne ended up at the same end and this time the Netherlands field made no mistake. Abeysinghe sacrificed and Sri Lanka 110 for five.

It was the trigger for a collapse. Seneviratne, Indralatha and Sugathadasa departed in quick succession as Sri Lanka went from 110 for five to 113 for eight in the 40th over.

Jayamali Indika and Janakanthi Mala set about finding runs from the last 10 overs. They added eight before Indika was caught by van der Gun off Koster. Then a lively little partnership between Mala and Thanuja Ekanayaka added 18 for the last wicket before Mala was out lbw to Salomons in the 48th over with the total at 139.

Vand der Gun produced the best bowling, three for 18 off four overs but the Netherlands could live to rue their 21 wides, which contributed 34 runs.

The Netherlands start after lunch seeking 140 runs to keep their hopes alive.

SILVA REACHES 50

Caroline de Fouw and Caroline Salomons took over in the 17th and 18th overs respectively. First they applied the brakes and then in the 29th over forced an error. Fernando on 10 tried to pull de Fouw and succeeded only in reaching de Boer at square leg. Sri Lanka 77 for two.

Hirshi Abeysinghe joined her captain and while de Fouw and Salomons kept the scoring in check they could not stop Silva going to her 50 in the 29th over with a trademark pull through mid wicket.

At the end of 30 overs, Sri Lanka were 89 for two.

BRIGHT START BY SRI LANKA

Rasanjali Silva and Kalpana Liyanarachchi, opening for Sri Lanka, found little terror in the Netherlands medium pace of Elise Reynolds and Sandra Kottman. They did, however, try very hard to resume their run-out horrors, saved only by a missed opportunity offered the Netherlands field.

Silva in particular was keen to put bat on ball, collecting three fours as they took the score to 28 in the first eights overs.

However, the introduction of Cheraldine Oudolf at the southern end for Reynolds brought a wicket off her first ball. The ball was bad, the shot was worse and the catch by Teuntje de Boer at mid wicket was very good indeed. Sri Lanka 28 for one, Liyanarachchi gone for five.

Hiruka Fernado arrived as de Boer took over at the city end in the 10th. The Sri Lankan pair went comfortably through to 51 at the end of the 15th over, wides from the Netherlands' bowlers contributing to the Sri Lankan progress.

NETHERLANDS UP SRI LANKA IN

The Netherlands won the toss and asked Sri Lanka to bat in this key bottom-of-the-table clash in the CricInfo Women's World Cup.

The match is being played on a new pitch at Hagley Oval under overcast skies with a light north easterly blowing across the ground from the city end.

Sri Lanka, defending a two-point advantage, went in with Silva, Abeysinghe, Ekanayake, Fernando, Indralatha, Indika, Lakmalee, Lyanarachchi, Mala, Seveviratne and Sugathadasa with de Silva 12th man.

The Netherlands have managed to bring two of their top three batsmen, Ramabaldo and Koster, back from injury. The line-up is te Beest, Salomons, de Boer, de Fouw, van der Gun, Koster, Kottman, Milburn, Oudolf, Rambaldo and Reynolds with Verheul 12th man.