Live Score

7:32 PM IST, Local Time: Most of the covers have been removed. The news from the centre is that the match has been reduced to 36 overs per side. There will be a 10-minute break. between the innings exchange. The match will resume at 7:52 PM IST, Local Time. 

7:41 PM IST, Local Time: Urghhhhh! Scratch the previous update, as the rain has returned, and so have the covers. Gotta feel for the groundsmen — they had just removed all the covers, and now they’re having to put them back on again. There’s also been some lightning around Colombo, so player safety is a concern as well.

There is a light drizzle, and the ground is not fully covered. So, it won't take much time for the groundsmen to remove the covers when it stops drizzling.

8:21 PM IST, Local Time: The scenes are not looking promising, as the groundsmen have started covering the whole ground now. The inevitable seems just around the corner. Remember, the game should start by 9:41 PM IST, local time, for a 20-over chase.

9:03 PM IST and Local Time : The chances of the resumption looks very bleak. We can see a few Pakistani players strolling around the ground with an umbrella and a few New Zealand players are there too. It seems like another wash-out is on the cards.

9:08 PM IST, Local Time: Another frustrating day for fans as the match between New Zealand Women and Pakistan Women has been called off due to persistent rain here at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, with both teams sharing a point each. This marks the fourth game at this venue in the ongoing Women’s World Cup to end with no result, which is truly disappointing for cricket fans. New Zealand Women were in a strong position in this contest, having claimed 5 wickets for under 100 runs, but unfortunately, they had to settle for just one point.

After being asked to bat first, Pakistan Women made a steady start, with Muneeba Ali (22) finding some early rhythm. However, Lea Tahuhu broke the partnership by trapping Omaima Sohail for 3, opening the floodgates for the White Ferns.

Pakistan then lost wickets at regular intervals and soon found themselves struggling at 80 for 5. Aliya Riaz (28*) and Sidra Nawaz (6*) were unbeaten on the crease, and Pakistan were 92/5 in 25 overs when the rain interrupted for the second time, ultimately leading to the match being abandoned.

New Zealand Women were brilliant with the ball, constantly putting the Women in Green under pressure and taking wickets at regular intervals. However, fate had other plans, and the game couldn’t be completed. Lea Tahuhu claimed two wickets, while Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, and Eden Carson contributed one wicket each.

Sophie Devine (New Zealand Women Captain): "Yeah we thought we had some hope. We just needed the rain to hold off but it didn't happen unfortunately. It is really frustrating that you wait four years for a world cup and then see the rain play a massive part in it. I hope in future editions, they will think starting the game early in the morning. It is a real shame for me.

We just want to be playing cricket. The situation is clear. We need to win next two games. We will go there tomorrow and will prepare ourselves for the challenges. I guess luckily we have a few games ahead of our next game against India in Mumbai. You will be playing against the good teams in their home and this is a real challenge. We are looking forward to that."

Fatima Sana (Pakistan Women Captain): "We got off to a good start in the powerplay but lost wickets regularly after that. Despite that, we still had a good chance to score around 180 runs, and we have a strong bowling attack, and we have a belief that we can restrict them. Hopefully, our batters will get a good opportunity to perform in the next game.

We need to improve our batting, and we will aim to play better cricket in the remaining two matches. When I came here, everyone told me it was a spin-friendly track, but when I bowled, I got a lot of seam movement, which I really enjoyed.

We will try to win the next matches and end the tournament on a high note. (On captaincy) It’s been tough as we haven’t been winning many games, but the team has been supportive, and I am enjoying my bowling."

With today’s abandoned game, South Africa Women have officially qualified for the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup 2025, becoming the second team to do so after Australia Women. South Africa have four wins in the tournament so far. New Zealand Women are the only other side that can match them on points, but they can have a maximum of three wins, meaning South Africa have secured their spot in the last four.

For your information, if two teams end up with the same points, qualification will first be determined by the number of wins, and then by NRR if needed.

Once again rain has had the last laugh at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. There's been plenty of rain here in this October and the World Cup matches are getting affected. This is the fourth game to get washed out among the nine games so far. Pakistan is still winless in the competition and New Zealand have a tough job in their hands. They have to win their next two games to stay alive in the semi-final race.

For now, this is Saptak Sanyal signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Deepak Prakash, the scorers/analysts of this game Paras Yadav and Zeeshan Naiyer and the statistician Aman. We will meet again. Until then, cheers!