Proteas pain continues, as Sri Lanka stun England

Despite South Africa's winless record in limited-overs matches against Australia now extending to warm-up games for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Proteas captain Dane van Niekerk feels her team is edging ever closer to ending that sequence against their toughest rivals.

For a while in today's practice match at Karen Rolton Oval – the final hit-out for both teams before the tournament proper begins in Sydney on Friday – it seemed South Africa might finally break their duck, albeit in an unofficial contest.

Batting first, van Niekerk blazed 62 from 51 balls and figured in crucial stands with opening partner Lizelle Lee (29 from 28) and Marizanne Kapp (22 from 16) as the Proteas posted 6-147 from their 20 overs.

In reply, the reigning World Cup champions and tournament favourites slumped to 4-35 when allrounder Ellyse Perry was dismissed in the sixth over before rival skipper Meg Lanning carried her team home with a typically enterprising 47 from 36 deliveries.

It was a scenario van Niekerk has endured numerous times before, most painfully the 50-over fixture at Coffs Harbour in 2016 when South Africa seemed set for success until they collapsed to lose their final five wickets for 24 and the match ended in a tie.

"It's generally the trend with us against Australia, we get them in a pickle and then Meg Lanning comes in and she scores," van Niekerk said after Australia reached their victory target with four wickets and three balls to spare.

"So when we come up against them next we have to rectify that and get her out early.

'We tried that today, but it didn't work.

"But it's been amazing preparation for the team, and especially for the young ones to get out there.

"For (19-year-old spinner) Nonkululeko Mlaba to step up and open the bowling against players like Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney, I was really proud of her.

"And to play the best team in the world for warm-up is amazing and I think we gave them a really good go."

The reason for van Niekerk's optimism ahead of South Africa's campaign opener against England at Perth's WACA Ground on Sunday lies in the contrasting contributions to their pair of warm-up matches in Adelaide this week.

Last Sunday's game against Sri Lanka saw the Proteas' top-order fail and they relied on middle-order players Laura Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon to post a competitive total that was defended through the bowling exploits of wrist-spinner Sune Luus (4-20).

Today, it was the Proteas' top three that performed with the bat while seamer Kapp took the bowling plaudits with a remarkable 4-16 from her four overs.

But van Niekerk hopes her players can put together a complete performance on Sunday against England, who they are also yet to defeat in a T20 World Cup game.

She also indicated her intention to remain in the role of opener for the upcoming tournament having dropped herself down the order to number four before leg and foot injuries forced her out of the game in the latter half of last year.

"We spoke about our best combination, and myself and Lizelle have been pretty successful in the years that we've opened together," van Niekerk said today.

"Obviously we had our reasons for me to go down the order at number four in the past, but we just feel that we need to have our best batters at the top, and at the moment that feels right.

"So hopefully myself and Lizelle can give the team a good start.

"Lizelle is due, and hopefully the next game at the WACA - where she scored a century for Melbourne Stars (last November) – is her day."

While her combination with opening partner Lee seems on more solid footing than it was last Sunday when both fell for ducks against Sri Lanka, van Niekerk admits she was responsible for the decision that led to the untimely run-out of her life partner, Kapp.

The pair – who married in July 2018 – seemed to have the Australia bowling at their mercy until van Niekerk called for a risky third run on Lanning's arm and Kapp was caught short at the non-striker's end, sending a glare at her captain and wife as she left the field.

"Oh, that's on me," van Niekerk said, citing Kapp's dismissal as a turning point in the game.

"Unfortunately, I saw Meg Lanning slipping so I thought we can sneak another one, especially with Marizanne being very quick.

"But I'll take that one on the chin.

"I'll probably have to answer for it later but it's part and parcel of the game.

"I think that was maybe the changing moment of the game in our batting innings, so I'll definitely take full responsibility for that one."

In the other warm-up game played in Adelaide today, Sri Lanka caused a major upset by thumping women's cricket heavyweights England by 10 wickets with more than seven overs to spare.

Sri Lanka's only previous international win over England came during the 2013 World Cup, and today's triumph was delivered by captain Chamari Attapaththu who slammed an unbeaten 78 from 50 balls in an opening stand of 123 with Hasini Perera (29 not out from 25).

While England had tinkered with their batting line-up to give regular middle-order players a chance to spend time in the middle ahead of their tournament opener against South Africa, they struggled against Sri Lanka's spinners, most notably Sashikala Siriwardena (4-22).

As a result, their total of 122 was always likely to prove tough to defend unless they were able to remove Attapaththu – who blazed 113 from 66 balls against Australia in a T20 at North Sydney Oval last September – early in the chase.

But after Attapaththu got away to a flying start, England's bowlers were powerless to rein her in and the left-hander believes her team's 10-wicket triumph ensures they enter their first game of the tournament, against New Zealand at the WACA on Saturday, with greatly buoyed confidence.

"A win is a win, and that was a good opportunity for us because the last couple of months we've struggled and haven't won any games." Attapaththu said in the wake of Sri Lanka's stunning success.

"So I hope this means all the girls will do well in this World Cup.

"Some days are good, some days are bad and the first warm-up game (against South Africa last Sunday) we lost.

"But we learned a lot of things from that match, and played much better today to win this match."

2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

Warm-ups

February 15: Australia v West Indies, Allan Border Field

February 18: Australia v South Africa, Karen Rolton Oval

Tournament

February 21:Australia v India, Sydney Showgrounds

February 24: Australia v Sri Lanka, WACA Ground

February 27: Australia v Bangladesh, Manuka Oval 

March 2: Australia v New Zealand, Junction Oval

March 5: Semi-final 1 & Semi-final 2, SCG

March 8: Final, MCG

For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE

* All matches will be broadcast on Fox Cricket and Kayo, while Australia's matches will also be broadcast on the Nine Network