Group A, Sharjah
New Zealand win by eight wickets after chasing down 116 with 15 balls to spare
Plimmer hits 53 off 44 balls and Kerr adds 34* off 31
Sri Lanka 115-5 (20 overs): Athapaththu 35 (41); Kerr 2-13
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Katherine Sciver-Brunt
Ex-England bowler on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
New Zealand are in a brilliant position here they just need to go for it.
I like how Georgia Plimmer has batted. She's in a place which is hard to score and she's found the boundary on multiple occasions.
Georgia Plimmer drives to mid on for a single for her second T20 50. She's taken 41 deliveries and batted really, really well.
Ama Kanchana joins the attack for the first time and concedes just four, but she gets away with a terrible delivery for the final ball that is miles wide outside off. Melie Kerr only just reaches it with an ugly-looking heave for only one.
That said, Melie Kerr found the rope early on with this textbook shot.
Kerr hits 'beautiful shot' for first four
Sachini Nisansala's around the wicket left-arm spin is worked around for five off the over.
Georgia Plimmer is starting to look a bit tired and would love to end this with a few big hits, but boundaries are hard to find at the moment.
Image source, Getty ImagesCaptain Chamari Athapaththu is on for her first over following a much-needed drinks break.
Melie Kerr and Georgia Plimmer both look a bit frustrated, they try a few big shots to the off spinner but they can't reach the rope.
Katherine Sciver-Brunt
Ex-England bowler on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
With Georgia Plimmer's form everyone was questioning why New Zealand were sticking with her when she was having such a torrid time.
She's currently getting her second best score of the tournament.
Suzie Bates struggled with a stop-start knock before being bowled.
Nisansala gets the breakthrough as Bates bowled
New Zealand are well on track for victory after 10 overs of the chase but could do with scoring a bit quicker to really get a big net run-rate boost.
Image source, CricVizBang!
Georgia Plimmer leaps down the wicket to Sachini Nisansala and smashes the ball to the rope at long on past a despairing fielder in the deep.
A really good knock from the opener, this, and with nine from that over New Zealand are motoring towards the win they need.
Katherine Sciver-Brunt
Ex-England bowler on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Image source, Getty ImagesThat is beautiful shot from Melie Kerr. She is strong through that extra-cover region - she gets a lot of power on it.
Kerr's had a good tournament with the ball and not the best with the bat.
She'll want to get some runs for her team as she is one of the all-rounders for this New Zealand team.
Melie Kerr steps down the wicket and drives Inoshi Fernando to the rope for a glorious boundary. It was a bit hectic an over or two ago, it feels like the Kiwis are back in control now.
Kerr hits 'beautiful shot' for first four
NZ 51-1
The ball is just following Inoshi Fernando around - Plimmer slams a drive straight back at the bowler, who gets both hands to it above her had but it doesn't stick.
She had a split-second - they either stick, or they don't.
Katherine Sciver-Brunt
Ex-England bowler on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Image source, Getty ImagesAnother confusion point from bowler to batter. Bates was trying to work that down the ground, it was the wrong length.
The coach Ben Sawyer is livid with the outcome.
The way Suzie Bates was going this might be a service to New Zealand as Melie Kerr is in great form.
Melie Kerr is off the mark quickly, New Zealand were just looking like they were wanting to get on with it when Bates fell.
Inoshi Fernando makes some amends for her poor fielding earlier, diving to stop a fierce straight drive by Plimmer.
Bates b Nisansala 17 (NZ 49-1)
Image source, Getty ImagesSuzie Bates aims a slog to leg but misses, it goes on with the arm and rattles middle stump.
It just wasn't the opener's day today.
It did hit something - her arm. One of the worst reviews you'll see.
Image source, Getty ImagesSuzie Bates reverse sweeps and the ball loops away off something. Sri Lanka are convinced it's out and go for an LBW review.
Now it's the looping spin of Kavisha Dilhari, which Georgia Plimmer latches on to with a rasping drive to off. Captain Chamari Athapaththu makes a hash of a regulation piece of fielding, backing off and allowing the ball between her feet.
Which begs the question - can bowlers shout at their captains when the skipper gets it wrong?
Katherine Sciver-Brunt
Ex-England bowler on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
I didn't feel like New Zealand were trying to smash it to all parts.
It doesn't seem to me they're going to try improve their net run-rate today.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Minutes | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gunaratne,bowled Carson Gunaratne, bowled Carson | 8 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 53.33 |
Athapaththu,bowled Kerr Athapaththu, bowled Kerr | 35 | 41 | 5 | 0 | 52 | 85.37 |
Samarawickrama,caught Kerr, bowled Kasperek Samarawickrama, caught Kerr, bowled Kasperek | 18 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 62.07 |
Dilhari,leg before wicket, bowled Kerr Dilhari, leg before wicket, bowled Kerr | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 111.11 |
Sanjeewani,caught Devine, bowled Kasperek Sanjeewani, caught Devine, bowled Kasperek | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 71.43 |
de Silva,not out de Silva, not out | 14 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 127.27 |
Kanchana,not out Kanchana, not out | 10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 111.11 |
Extras, no balls 1, wides 8, byes 4, leg byes 2, total 15 Extras, no balls 1, wides 8, byes 4, leg byes 2, total 15 | ||||||
Total,115 for 5 20.0 overs Total,115 for 5 20.0 overs |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mair | 4.0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 4.25 |
Carson | 4.0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 4.75 |
Tahuhu | 2.0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7.50 |
Kasperek | 4.0 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 6.75 |
Kerr | 4.0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 3.25 |
Devine | 2.0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 9.00 |
| Fall of wicket | Batter |
|---|---|
26 for 1 (3.3 overs) | Gunaratne |
74 for 2 (13.3 overs) | Athapaththu |
76 for 3 (14.2 overs) | Samarawickrama |
89 for 4 (16.1 overs) | Sanjeewani |
97 for 5 (17.1 overs) | Dilhari |
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Minutes | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bates,bowled Lakshitha Bates, bowled Lakshitha | 17 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 77.27 |
Plimmer,caught de Silva, bowled Athapaththu Plimmer, caught de Silva, bowled Athapaththu | 53 | 44 | 4 | 0 | 58 | 120.45 |
Kerr,not out Kerr, not out | 34 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 109.68 |
Devine,not out Devine, not out | 13 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 162.50 |
Extras, no balls 0, wides 0, byes 1, leg byes 0, total 1 Extras, no balls 0, wides 0, byes 1, leg byes 0, total 1 | ||||||
Total,118 for 2 17.3 overs Total,118 for 2 17.3 overs |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kumari | 3.3 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 6.57 |
Prabodhani | 3.0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 5.66 |
Fernando | 2.0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 10.00 |
Dilhari | 2.0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 10.50 |
Lakshitha | 4.0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 6.00 |
Athapaththu | 2.0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 4.00 |
Kanchana | 1.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 |
| Fall of wicket | Batter |
|---|---|
49 for 1 (7.3 overs) | Bates |
95 for 2 (14.5 overs) | Plimmer |
