Sri Lanka turns World Cup’s forbidden venue

Pakistan had to make 186 in 8 overs to win in final ruling 

For the fifth time in the Women’s Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka showcased that the month of October was no time to play cricket, and of all events a World Cup, as some of the world’s top women players were left kicking their heals watching the rain fall and turn the venue at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo into a watery graveyard.

Tuesday October 14 was no exception as players from South Africa and Pakistan had their match disrupted by rain as many as five times, a world record, that eventually put Pakistan at the receiving end of having to make 186 runs in just eight overs when the contest resumed for the last time past 9.30 pm. Pakistan resumed from 48 for 4 in 12 overs and the revised target was 234 in 20 overs.

The frustration was so enormous for both teams that the South African players, who batted first and made 312 for 9 in 40 overs, thanked Sri Lankan ground staff no sooner the match ended giving them a victory with the match finally ending with Pakistan at 83 for 7.

The state of the venue could not have been described any worse than by the remarks made by the international commentators who described the pathetic state of the ground as “getting wetter and wetter” and “miraculous” that even a 20-over game was possible to decide the outcome.

On one occasion the ground was saturated and muddy to the extent that the ball raised a watery spray when it travelled to the boundary.

Sri Lanka had their matches against Australia and New Zealand washed out at the Premadasa Stadium collecting two points and thanks to a fixture against Bangladesh in India won and increased the tally to four points.

On the same day (Monday) that Sri Lanka played in India, the Premadasa Stadium was inundated turning the ground into a pool for crows.

Sri Lanka also played a rain-curtailed match and lost to South Africa at the same venue.

Pakistan also faced the misery of witnessing their match against England end up in a washout at the same venue. They were victims of geopolitics back at home that compelled them to pitch up camp in Sri Lanka.

Many questions have now being raised over Sri Lanka giving priority to everything else other than cricket and the annual monsoon season and the International Cricket Council accepting whatever the co-host had to lay out on the table with the absence of reserve days raising more questions.

Scores:

South Africa 312 for 9 in 40 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 90, Sune Luus 61, Marizanne Kapp 68 not out, Nashra 3-45)
Pakistan 83-7 in 20 overs (Sidra Nawaz 22 not out, Kapp 3-20)
South Africa won by 150 runs (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern)