Sri Lanka Women continue their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a seven-wicket victory over Netherlands Women in a warm-up fixture played on June 9. After restricting the Dutch side to a competitive but manageable total of 143/6, Sri Lanka produced a composed batting display to chase down the target with five balls to spare, finishing on 146/3 in 19.1 overs.
Heather Siegers and Sterre Kalis Lead Dutch Batting Effort
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Netherlands Women made a positive start through opener Heather Siegers. The experienced batter played aggressively from the outset, striking seven boundaries in a fluent 48 from just 32 deliveries.
Phebe Molkenboer supported her with 16 from 21 balls before Kavisha Dilhari provided the breakthrough, bowling the opener to leave the Dutch side searching for momentum.
Sterre Kalis then anchored the innings with a composed 45 from 41 balls. The right-hander struck five boundaries and ensured the Netherlands maintained a steady scoring rate through the middle overs.
Captain Babette de Leede contributed an important 26 from 20 deliveries and looked set to accelerate before becoming one of three Dutch batters dismissed via run-out. The Netherlands eventually finished on 143/6 from their 20 overs, a total that could have been significantly higher had they avoided costly mistakes between the wickets.
Sri Lanka’s Bowlers Keep Things Under Control
Sri Lanka rotated eight bowlers during the innings and received valuable contributions throughout the attack.
Malki Madara delivered the most economical spell, conceding just 12 runs from her three overs while claiming the wicket of Robine Rijke. Kavisha Dilhari was equally impressive, returning figures of 1/13 from three overs and applying pressure during the middle stages of the innings.
Left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari also chipped in with a wicket, finishing with figures of 1/26 from her four overs.
While Chethana Vimukthi and the remaining bowlers proved slightly more expensive, Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding ensured the Netherlands never fully capitalized on their promising start.
Karunaratne and Samarawickrama Seal Comfortable Chase
Sri Lanka’s pursuit began confidently as openers Vishmi Gunaratne and Hasini Perera attacked the Dutch bowlers during the powerplay.
Gunaratne struck 18 from 14 balls before becoming Frederique Overdijk’s victim, while Perera continued her aggressive approach, scoring 31 from just 20 deliveries and hitting six boundaries before falling to Myrthe van den Raad.
The Netherlands briefly fought back when Iris Zwilling dismissed Imesha Dulani for 3, reducing Sri Lanka to 57/3.
However, any hopes of a collapse quickly disappeared thanks to an outstanding partnership between Hansima Karunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama.
Karunaratne anchored the chase beautifully, reaching an unbeaten half-century with 54 from 42 balls, including six boundaries. At the other end, Samarawickrama provided excellent support with a calm and measured 36 not out from 34 deliveries.
The pair combined in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand that guided Sri Lanka safely to victory without any further alarms.
Netherlands Unable to Apply Consistent Pressure
The Dutch bowling attack struggled to maintain sustained pressure throughout the chase.
Myrthe van den Raad was the standout performer, delivering an economical spell of 1/15 from three overs. Iris Zwilling and Frederique Overdijk also picked up a wicket each, but the rest of the attack found it difficult to contain Sri Lanka’s batters.
Silver Siegers proved particularly expensive, conceding 25 runs in 2.1 overs, while Caroline de Lange leaked 19 runs from her two-over spell.
The inability to build pressure after reducing Sri Lanka to 57/3 ultimately allowed the experienced pair of Karunaratne and Samarawickrama to control the remainder of the chase.
Key Takeaways Ahead of the World Cup
Sri Lanka will be encouraged by the balance shown throughout the match. Their bowlers maintained discipline, their fielding created opportunities, and the batting lineup demonstrated depth and composure during the chase.
For the Netherlands, the match exposed areas that require improvement before the tournament begins. Three run-outs disrupted what could have been a much stronger total, while the bowling unit struggled to consistently challenge Sri Lanka’s middle order.
With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup approaching, Sri Lanka appear to be building momentum at the right time, while the Netherlands will look to learn valuable lessons from a competitive warm-up contest.
