Athapaththu, Nilakshika power Sri Lanka to 258/6 against New Zealand

Colombo, Oct 14 (PTI) Nilakshika De Silva's belligerent fifty was the perfect antithesis to skipper Chamari Athapaththu's graceful half-century as Sri Lanka posted a challenging 258 for 6 against New Zealand in their Women's ODI World Cup clash here on Tuesday.

Athapaththu (53 off 72 balls) was all class during her knock, stroking seven fours in an innings marked by control and elegance.

Nilakshika (55 not out off 28 balls), on the other hand, provided the final flourish with the fastest fifty of the tournament, whacking as many as seven boundaries and a six.

Together with the young Vishmi Gunaratne (42), Athapaththu laid a solid foundation with a 101-run opening partnership. Hasini Perera also chipped in with a valuable 44.

Athapaththu got going in style, unfurling a gorgeous cover drive off the second ball of the innings before threading another through extra cover, signalling her intent to bat deep.

Seeking their first win of the tournament, Sri Lanka opted to bat first and made a tactical tweak at the top, promoting 20-year-old Gunaratne to open alongside her captain, a move that paid early dividends.

The pair made full use of the fielding restrictions in the power play, amassing 52 without loss in the first 10 overs.

The White Ferns, however, were far from their sharp self in the field, dropping both openers on multiple occasions, fumbling run-out opportunities, and being guilty of several misfields that only compounded their frustration.

But they clawed their way back into the contest after the power play, tightening their lines and drying up the boundaries.

Athapaththu cut Sophie Devine away for a boundary and then chipped into the gap at mid-wicket for two to bring up her 20th ODI fifty.

But Devine soon had her revenge, taking the pace off the ball to deceive the Sri Lankan skipper, who found Maddy Green lurking at deep cover.

With the run-rate stagnating, Gunaratne, who hit three boundaries during her 83-ball stay in the middle, tried to break free but was cleaned up by Rosemary Mair.

Perera (44) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (26) steadied the innings with a 58-run stand.

But just as Sri Lanka looked poised to accelerate, New Zealand sparked a mini-collapse, dismissing Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari (4), and Perera in quick succession, stalling the momentum once again before Nilakshika's cameo, which included three boundaries in the final over bowled by Devine. PTI APA UNG