Captain Chamari Atapattu's 63 steered Sri Lanka Women to a four-wicket win against South Africa Women to equalise the series 1-1 in Colombo, after the match was reduced to 27 overs a side. Chasing 140, Sri Lanka almost wasted the platform set up by Atapattu, falling to 128 for 6, but still got home with an over to spare.

Asked to bat, South Africa got a stable start with an opening stand of 42 in nine overs but Inoka Ranaweera's quick wickets soon reduced them to 56 for 3. Mignon du Preez and Marizanne Kapp put on 48 runs in 9.2 overs before both were dismissed within a span of three overs, for 34 and 29 respectively. However, 12 runs from the last over with fours from Chloe Tryon and Shabnim Ismail led them to 139.

Sri Lanka got a flying start from Prasadani Weerakkody and Atapattu, who put on 28 in the first three overs. Yasoda Mendis then joined the captain and the duo put together 50 runs in 52 balls. Atapattu steered them closer with her seventh ODI fifty but lost three more partners and when the captain also got out, the score read 128 for 6. But the required rate never went above five and they won despite the three wickets from Ismail.

Scores

Sri Lanka Women 143 for 6 (Atapattu 63, Ismail 3-34)
South Africa Women 139 for 7 (Du Preez 34, Kanchana 3-26).
(Cricinfo)