South Africa, lying third, will be looking for their fourth successive win to climb the World Cup standings.
Having faced Sri Lanka multiple times over the last couple of years, spin bowler Nonkululeko Mlaba says the Proteas have a good idea of what to expect from their opposition when they turn out in a Women’s World Cup league stage match in Colombo on Friday (11.30am start).
South Africa drew 1-1 against Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series at home in April last year (one game was rained out), and they played two matches in a tri-series in Colombo in May this year, winning one game and losing the other.
After competing in Colombo five months ago, the Proteas also had a good idea of the conditions they were facing on Friday.
“As a team we kind of know their players, especially for me as a bowler I know with certain players where to bowl, and we know where our strengths and weaknesses are,” Mlaba said.
Tough challenge expected
While co-hosts Sri Lanka had not yet won a game at the World Cup (two of their matches had been rained out), Mlaba insisted the SA side were not underestimating their opposition.
With the Sri Lankans having beaten South Africa in two fixtures over the last 18 months, and in desperate need of World Cup points, the Proteas expected a battle on Friday.
“We played against Sri Lanka in the tri-series, and we also played against them at home, and they beat us in a few games,” Mlaba said.
“So they definitely have a good team… and as a team we don’t undermine any team. We just play our own game and try our best to win.”
Finding consistency
The Proteas had not been as consistent as they might have liked in the tournament thus far.
Though they were lying third in the standings in the league stage of the competition, they were crushed by England, before bouncing back against New Zealand, and then they had to dig deep to edge out India and Bangladesh in their last two games.
Mlaba admitted they could find more consistency against Sri Lanka, but she said the Proteas were not overly concerned about having let control slip from their grasp in some of their fixtures.
“That’s obviously part of the game. As a team we start off well and sometimes we just lack here and there, so it’s a matter of trying to bring the team together, and just try to focus and do well in certain periods,” she said.
“I’ve watched a lot of games and a lot of teams have gone through the same as us, so it’s just a part of cricket.”
