South Africa Advances to Semis as Rain Cancels Pakistan-New Zealand Match

Persistent rain in Colombo forced the cancellation of the Women’s World Cup match between Pakistan and New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium on October 7, 2023. This marked the fourth game in the tournament to be abandoned due to adverse weather. As a result of the washout, South Africa secured a place in the semi-finals, joining Australia as the second team to advance.

The match, which was set to be crucial for both teams, ended with Pakistan gaining their second point in the tournament but remaining at the bottom of the standings. New Zealand held onto fifth place with a net run rate of -0.245. The White Ferns now face significant challenges ahead, with upcoming matches against four-time champions England and hosts India in the group stage.

Initially, New Zealand chose to field after winning the toss, and Pakistan made a cautious start. Openers Omaima Sohail and Muneeba Ali managed to add 30 runs for the first wicket in just 6.4 overs before the innings lost momentum. Following the dismissal of Sohail by Lea Tahuhu, who bowled her for just three runs off 15 balls, New Zealand tightened their grip on the game.

Muneeba, who had been looking promising with her 22 runs off 26 balls, was also dismissed by Jess Kerr. The situation worsened for Pakistan as standout batter Sidra Amin fell cheaply for just nine runs, again to the bowling of Tahuhu.

As rain began to disrupt the match, officials reduced the game to 46 overs per side. When play resumed, Pakistan struggled, losing wickets quickly, including Natalia Pervaiz and Sidra Nawaz in rapid succession. Despite the setbacks, Aliya Riaz showed resilience, finishing with an unbeaten 28 runs off 52 balls, hitting three boundaries before rain interrupted play once more.

The rain intensified, leading to further reductions in the match’s overs. Eventually, the game was cut down to a 36-over format, but conditions did not improve, forcing officials to call off the match around 21:00, just before the cut-off time for a 20-over game set at 21:41.

The cancellation has left Pakistan with a challenging path ahead as they seek to improve their standings, while New Zealand must regroup quickly to face their next difficult opponents. Meanwhile, South Africa can celebrate their advancement, positioning themselves as strong contenders in the tournament.