South Africa steamroll Sri Lanka for first Games win

South Africa have ended their Commonwealth Games campaign on a high note, thrashing Sri Lanka by 10 wickets at Edgbaston.

With neither team able to advance to the semi-finals, the Proteas were playing for pride and produced by far their most commanding performance of the tournament, bowling Sri Lanka out for 46 before openers Tazmin Brits (21no) and Anneke Bosch (20no) chased their target in just 6.1 overs.

After the Proteas elected to bowl, Shabnim Ismail struck with the first ball of the match to remove Hasini Perera.

Things did not improve from there, as Nadine de Klerk and Masabata Klaas joined in the action to reduce Sri Lanka to 5-18 inside the power play.

Captain Chamari Athapaththu was the only Sri Lanka batter to reach double figures, digging in for a 29-ball 15.

But she had little assistance, de Klerk (3-7) and Klaas (2-7) leading the wicket taking as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 46 in 17.1 overs, their lowest T20I total.

The win was some consolation for a South Africa team who had lost nine consecutive white-ball games, and had not recorded a win since arriving in the United Kingdom in late June, going winless in their multi-format series against England before Commonwealth Games defeats to the same opposition and New Zealand.

"To finish the tour on a high, we’ll take that," South Africa stand-in skipper Sune Luus said.

"(Nine consecutive losses) is not a streak you want to have."

South Africa came into the tournament without opener Lizelle Lee, who shocked the cricket world with her sudden international retirement last month, alongside injured captain Dane van Niekerk and star allrounder Marizanne Kapp, who returned to South Africa on the eve of the Games for family reasons.

Luus was unable to bowl throughout the tournament due to a finger injury, further weakening their bowling attack.

"When you look at teams like Australia, England, New Zealand, they're pulling far ahead," Luus said of the difference in depth between South Africa and their strongest rivals.

"We have a young group that's hard-working and will give everything, it will just take a bit of time."

Sri Lanka ended the Games on the bottom of the Group B table without a win.

England and New Zealand were the sides to advance from Group B, joining Australia and India in the semi-finals.

"Tough day at the office. Tough tour," Athapaththu said.

"The last two years we struggled in the pandemic, we didn’t play any cricket. We have not played in English conditions (before the Games) - that is a tough situation.

"We struggled with pace and swing and adjusting to the conditions."

2022 Commonwealth Games

Australia's squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

See all the Commonwealth Games cricket squads here

Group A: Australia, India, Pakistan, Barbados

Group B: England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka

July 29: Australia beat India by three wickets

July 31: Australia beat Barbados by nine wickets

August 3: Australia beat Pakistan by 44 runs

Semi-finals: August 6, 11am local (8pm AEST) and 6pm local (3am Aug 7 AEST)

Bronze medal match: August 7, 10am local (7pm AEST)

Gold medal match: August 7, 5pm local (2am Aug 8 AEST)

All matches played at Edgbaston Stadium