Rain Denies New Zealand After Strong Start, Pakistan Stay Winless as South Africa Reach Semi-Finals

Colombo, Saturday: Persistent rain forced the Women’s World Cup 2025 match between New Zealand and Pakistan at the R Premadasa International Stadium to be abandoned, leaving both teams frustrated after a stop-start opening half.

New Zealand had won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that paid off early as their bowlers tightened control before rain ultimately had the final say. The match was first reduced to 46 overs per side after a lengthy delay, but only 25 overs were possible before the weather returned and ended any chance of a result.

Pakistan found themselves under pressure at 92 for 5. Aliya Riaz showed some resistance with a fighting 28 not out, but other batters failed again. Natalia Pervaiz was the first wicket. She was trying to go down the ground and caught at long-on, handing Eden Carson her first breakthrough. 

One over later, Fatima Sana was bowled on a turning googly that split bat and pad. This was a moment that underlined New Zealand’s growing grip before the interruption.

The abandonment carried bigger consequences in the points table, where the shared result confirmed South Africa’s place in the semi-finals after their fourth win earlier against Sri Lanka. New Zealand, already under pressure after an inconsistent performance, stays fifth with four points from five games, while Pakistan remains winless and sits at the bottom of the table, with their hopes officially over.

Points Table

Team	Matches Played	Won	Lost	Tied	No Result	Points	Net Run Rate (NRR)
Australia Women	5	4	0	0	1	9	+1.818
South Africa Women	5	4	1	0	0	8	-0.440
England Women	4	3	0	0	1	7	+1.864
India Women	4	2	2	0	0	4	+0.682
New Zealand Women	5	1	2	0	2	4	-0.245
Bangladesh Women	5	1	4	0	0	2	-0.676
Sri Lanka Women	5	0	3	0	2	2	-1.564
Pakistan Women	5	0	3	0	2	2	-1.887