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The Sri Lanka Women Vs South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team Timeline is a fascinating history of two teams that have produced increasingly competitive contests across women’s international cricket. South Africa have traditionally been one of the stronger teams in women’s cricket, while Sri Lanka have steadily developed into a dangerous opponent, particularly in T20I and ODI cricket.
The rivalry has featured World Cup encounters, Commonwealth Games cricket, bilateral series and multi-team tournaments. One of the biggest turning points came in the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, when Sri Lanka defeated the tournament hosts South Africa in a thrilling opening match. More recently, the teams have produced several close ODI and T20I contests, including Sri Lanka’s historic chase against South Africa in 2024 and their meetings in the 2025 ODI Tri-Series and 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The following Sri Lanka Women Vs South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team Timeline covers the major meetings and important moments between the two sides.
Sri Lanka Women Vs South Africa Women Head-to-Head Overview
Sri Lanka and South Africa have met in all three major women’s international formats, although their rivalry has been particularly active in ODIs and T20Is.
Their recent meetings show how competitive the contest has become. In the last 10 listed meetings through the 2025 World Cup, the sides were level at 5-5, demonstrating how closely matched the teams had become in recent years.
| Category | Sri Lanka Women | South Africa Women |
|---|---|---|
| Test rivalry | Very limited | Very limited |
| ODI rivalry | Competitive | Competitive |
| T20I rivalry | Highly competitive | Highly competitive |
| Major tournament meetings | Several | Several |
| Recent 10-match record through 2025 WC | 5 wins | 5 wins |
The rivalry has therefore developed from a contest dominated by South Africa into one where Sri Lanka regularly challenge and defeat their opponents.
Early Years of the Rivalry
Sri Lanka and South Africa developed their women’s cricket rivalry as both teams became more established in international cricket.
South Africa’s women’s team had already developed a strong international structure, while Sri Lanka were building around talented players such as Chamari Athapaththu.
The rivalry became especially important in limited-overs cricket because both sides possessed quality all-rounders and attacking batters.
For Sri Lanka, Athapaththu became the central figure in many important matches. For South Africa, players such as Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk and later Laura Wolvaardt helped establish the team as a major force.
2020: South Africa Win the T20 World Cup Warm-Up
The two teams met in a warm-up match ahead of the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
South Africa scored 146/5, while Sri Lanka were restricted to 105/8, giving South Africa a 41-run victory.
Although it was not an official World Cup group match, the encounter provided useful preparation for both teams before the tournament.
The result also demonstrated South Africa’s strength in the shortest format at the time.
2022: Commonwealth Games Encounter
Sri Lanka and South Africa met again in the women’s cricket competition at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
South Africa dominated the contest, restricting Sri Lanka to just 46 all out after scoring 49/0 in a rain-affected match. South Africa won by 10 wickets.
The match was shortened considerably by weather, but South Africa’s bowling and batting made the difference.
This was one of the more dominant results in the modern Sri Lanka Women Vs South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team Timeline.
2023: Sri Lanka Shock South Africa in the T20 World Cup
One of the biggest moments in the rivalry came on 10 February 2023 at Newlands in Cape Town.
South Africa hosted the opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with Sri Lanka providing the opposition.
Sri Lanka scored 129/4 in their 20 overs. South Africa reached 126/9, giving Sri Lanka a dramatic three-run victory.
Chamari Athapaththu was the star performer for Sri Lanka. She scored 68 from 50 balls, while Inoka Ranaweera produced an excellent bowling performance with 3/18.
The victory was particularly significant because South Africa were the tournament hosts and one of the leading contenders.
2023 T20 World Cup Match Summary
| Team | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka Women | 129/4 | Won |
| South Africa Women | 126/9 | Lost |
| Margin | 3 runs | Sri Lanka |
| Athapaththu | 68 | Player of the Match |
| Ranaweera | 3/18 | Key bowling performance |
The match remains one of the most memorable victories in Sri Lanka women’s cricket.
2024: Sri Lanka Tour South Africa
The 2024 tour of South Africa was a major chapter in the rivalry because the two teams played a complete white-ball series consisting of three T20Is and three ODIs.
The series was important for the ICC Women’s Championship as well as preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The ICC noted that it was the first bilateral exchange between the teams since 2019.
2024 T20I Series: South Africa Start Strongly
South Africa won the opening T20I on 27 March 2024.
South Africa scored 198/5, while Sri Lanka were bowled out for 119. South Africa therefore won by 79 runs.
The result suggested that South Africa might dominate the series.
However, Sri Lanka responded strongly in the next two matches.
2024 Second T20I: Sri Lanka Fight Back
Sri Lanka won the second T20I on 30 March 2024.
South Africa scored 137/8, but Sri Lanka chased the target successfully, reaching 138/3.
Sri Lanka won by seven wickets, levelling the three-match series.
The victory was an important response after their heavy defeat in the opening match.
2024 Third T20I: Sri Lanka Win the Series
The deciding T20I took place at Buffalo Park in East London.
South Africa made 155/6, but Sri Lanka successfully chased the target, reaching 156/6.
Sri Lanka won by four wickets, completing a 2-1 series victory.
The T20I series therefore produced a remarkable turnaround:
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| 1st T20I | South Africa won by 79 runs |
| 2nd T20I | Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets |
| 3rd T20I | Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets |
| Series | Sri Lanka won 2-1 |
This was one of the most important bilateral achievements for Sri Lanka against South Africa.
2024 ODI Series: South Africa Level the Contest
The three-match ODI series provided another dramatic change in momentum.
South Africa won the second ODI, while Sri Lanka won the third ODI. The series ultimately demonstrated that neither team could dominate the other for long.
First ODI
Sri Lanka produced a memorable batting performance in the first ODI on 9 April 2024.
South Africa scored 301/5, but Sri Lanka chased the target successfully, reaching 305/4.
Sri Lanka won by six wickets.
This was an outstanding chase and one of the landmark ODI performances in the rivalry.
Second ODI
South Africa bounced back in the second ODI.
The hosts scored 233/3, while Sri Lanka were dismissed for 229.
South Africa won by seven wickets, bringing the series level.
Third ODI
The deciding ODI again went Sri Lanka’s way.
South Africa scored 301/5, but Sri Lanka responded with 305/4 to win by six wickets.
Sri Lanka therefore won the ODI series 2-1.
| ODI | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | 301/5 | 305/4 | Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets |
| 2nd ODI | 233/3 | 229 | South Africa won by 7 wickets |
| 3rd ODI | 301/5 | 305/4 | Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets |
| Series | — | — | Sri Lanka won 2-1 |
The 2024 tour therefore ended with Sri Lanka winning both the T20I and ODI series.
2025: Sri Lanka Host South Africa in the ODI Tri-Series
The teams met again in Sri Lanka during the 2025 Women’s ODI Tri-Series involving Sri Lanka, South Africa and another international side.
The first major meeting came on 2 May 2025.
South Africa scored 235/9 from their 50 overs. Sri Lanka chased the target successfully, reaching 237/5 in 46.3 overs.
Sri Lanka won by five wickets with 21 balls remaining.
Harshitha Samarawickrama scored 77, while Kavisha Dilhari contributed 61.
This was another important example of Sri Lanka successfully chasing a competitive total against South Africa.
2025: South Africa Respond With a Big ODI Victory
The teams met again on 9 May 2025.
This time South Africa produced a much stronger performance.
South Africa scored 315/9, with Annerie Dercksen making 104 from 84 balls and Chloe Tryon scoring 74 from 51 balls.
Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 239, giving South Africa a 76-run victory.
Chloe Tryon was particularly effective with the ball, taking 5/34.
The result showed that the rivalry remained evenly balanced.
2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup: South Africa Win by 10 Wickets
Another major chapter came during the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Sri Lanka scored 105/7 in a rain-affected match, but South Africa chased the revised target comfortably.
South Africa reached 125/0 in 14.5 overs and won by 10 wickets with 31 balls remaining under the DLS method.
Laura Wolvaardt scored an unbeaten 60, while Tazmin Brits remained unbeaten on 55.
The result was a convincing South African victory and showed the importance of the team’s opening partnership.
Sri Lanka Women Vs South Africa Women Recent Timeline
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | T20 World Cup Warm-up | South Africa won |
| 2022 | Commonwealth Games | South Africa won |
| 2023 | T20 World Cup | Sri Lanka won by 3 runs |
| 2024 | 1st T20I | South Africa won by 79 runs |
| 2024 | 2nd T20I | Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets |
| 2024 | 3rd T20I | Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets |
| 2024 | 1st ODI | Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets |
| 2024 | 2nd ODI | South Africa won by 7 wickets |
| 2024 | 3rd ODI | Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets |
| 2025 | ODI Tri-Series | Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets |
| 2025 | ODI Tri-Series | South Africa won by 76 runs |
| 2025 | Women’s World Cup | South Africa won by 10 wickets |
Major Turning Points in the Rivalry
The Sri Lanka Women Vs South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team Timeline has several clear turning points.
2022 Commonwealth Games: South Africa’s 10-wicket victory demonstrated the gap that still existed between the sides.
2023 T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka’s three-run victory represented a major upset and showed that they could defeat South Africa on the biggest stage.
2024 T20I Series: Sri Lanka recovered from a 79-run defeat in the first match to win the series 2-1.
2024 ODI Series: Sri Lanka produced two successful 300-plus chases and won the ODI series 2-1.
2025 World Cup: South Africa responded with a dominant 10-wicket victory, underlining their continued strength in global tournaments.
Key Players in the Sri Lanka vs South Africa Rivalry
Several players have shaped this rivalry.
Chamari Athapaththu has been one of Sri Lanka’s most influential players. Her 68 from 50 balls in the 2023 T20 World Cup victory against South Africa was one of the defining performances in the rivalry.
Harshitha Samarawickrama has also played important innings against South Africa, including her 77 during the 2025 ODI Tri-Series victory.
Kavisha Dilhari has contributed with both bat and ball and has become an important part of Sri Lanka’s white-ball team.
For South Africa, Laura Wolvaardt remains one of the leading batters in the rivalry. Her unbeaten 60 helped South Africa defeat Sri Lanka in the 2025 Women’s World Cup.
Tazmin Brits, Chloe Tryon, Marizanne Kapp and Annerie Dercksen have also featured prominently in South Africa’s recent performances.
Biggest Wins in the Rivalry
| Match | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Commonwealth Games | South Africa | 10 wickets |
| 2023 T20 World Cup | Sri Lanka | 3 runs |
| 2024 1st T20I | South Africa | 79 runs |
| 2024 1st ODI | Sri Lanka | 6 wickets |
| 2024 3rd ODI | Sri Lanka | 6 wickets |
| 2025 ODI Tri-Series | South Africa | 76 runs |
| 2025 Women’s World Cup | South Africa | 10 wickets |
Why the Sri Lanka Women vs South Africa Women Rivalry Is Important
The rivalry has become important because it represents the changing balance of women’s international cricket.
South Africa have been a consistent top-level side, with strong performances in World Cups and ICC tournaments. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have continued to develop and have shown that they can defeat established teams.
Sri Lanka’s success against South Africa in 2023 and 2024 was particularly significant. Their 2024 bilateral tour was outstanding because they won both the T20I and ODI series.
The South African response in 2025 demonstrated that the rivalry remains unpredictable.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Sri Lanka Women and South Africa Women become regular opponents?
The two teams have developed a regular limited-overs rivalry over the years, with their meetings becoming particularly frequent in T20I and ODI cricket.
Who won the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup match between Sri Lanka and South Africa?
Sri Lanka won by three runs after defending 129/4. Chamari Athapaththu scored 68 and Inoka Ranaweera took 3/18.
Who won the Sri Lanka Women vs South Africa Women T20I series in 2024?
Sri Lanka won the three-match series 2-1. South Africa won the first match, but Sri Lanka won the next two.
Who won the Sri Lanka Women vs South Africa Women ODI series in 2024?
Sri Lanka won the three-match ODI series 2-1.
What was Sri Lanka’s biggest achievement against South Africa in 2024?
Sri Lanka won both the T20I and ODI bilateral series in South Africa, taking the T20I series 2-1 and the ODI series 2-1.
Who won the Sri Lanka vs South Africa match at the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup?
South Africa won by 10 wickets after Sri Lanka made 105/7 and South Africa reached 125/0 under the DLS method.
Who scored a century for South Africa against Sri Lanka in the 2025 ODI Tri-Series?
Annerie Dercksen scored 104 from 84 balls in South Africa’s 315/9 against Sri Lanka on May 9, 2025.
Who are the key players in the Sri Lanka Women vs South Africa Women rivalry?
Chamari Athapaththu, Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari have been important for Sri Lanka, while Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Chloe Tryon and Annerie Dercksen have played major roles for South Africa.
Conclusion
The Sri Lanka Women Vs South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team Timeline shows how an initially uneven contest has developed into a highly competitive international rivalry.
South Africa have produced dominant victories, including their 10-wicket Commonwealth Games win in 2022 and their 2025 Women’s World Cup victory. However, Sri Lanka have also delivered some of the rivalry’s most memorable performances, including their three-run victory at the 2023 T20 World Cup and their successful 2-1 T20I and ODI series victories in South Africa in 2024.
The 2025 meetings further demonstrated the changing momentum between the teams. Sri Lanka defeated South Africa by five wickets in the ODI Tri-Series, while South Africa later responded with a 76-run victory and a 10-wicket World Cup win.
With both teams continuing to develop their squads and compete regularly in major ICC tournaments, the Sri Lanka Women Vs South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team Timeline is likely to gain many more memorable chapters in the future.
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