Sri Lanka Women will face New Zealand Women in the first of a three-match T20I series at the P Sara Oval tomorrow. The hosts won the ODI series and they would again want to take advantage of home conditions. The pitches will again test the patience of the White Ferns.
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Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu has been their biggest strength with the bat. She scored a century in the last ODI match and will be deadly yet again in familiar conditions. The spinners of the side bowled well in the 50-over format and all the eyes will be on them in this format as well.
New Zealand Women have played well on the tour so far and they will give themselves every chance to win the T20I series. All-rounder Amelia Kerr will be the side’s biggest weapon with both bat and the ball. The experienced duo of captain Sophie Devine and batter Suzie Bates will carry a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders.
P Sara Oval Colombo Pitch Report
The pitch at the P Sara Oval in Colombo is not the best one out there for the batters. This track is a slower one and the batters will find it really difficult to play their shots. The powerplay overs have to be utilized by both sets of batters, or else, the slower bowlers will tighten their grip after it.
A total of three Women’s T20Is have been played here so far where the average first innings score has been just 135 runs. Unsurprisingly, the spinners have ruled the wicket-taking charts at this venue. There has been a good amount of turn on the wicket and the uneven bounce makes it even more difficult to score runs here.
Out of three, two matches have been won by the teams batting second. It is said that having a smaller target in front makes chasing an easier task at this venue. The weather is expected to remain overcast and considering the rain threat, both captains may ask the other team to bat first in this match.
