Colombo [Sri Lanka], October 14 (ANI): Sri Lanka batter Nilakshi de Silva slammed the fastest fifty by a player from her team in Women's ODIs during the ICC Women's World Cup clash against New Zealand at Colombo on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka marched to 258/6 in their 50 overs against New Zealand, with Nilakshi and skipper Chamari Athapaththu contributing useful half-centuries. Silva's fifty came in 26 balls, as she broke her own record of reaching the milestone in 28 balls against India earlier this year.

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SL won the toss and opted to bat first. Skipper Athapaththu had a fine start with the opener Vishmi Gunaratne (42 in 83 balls, with three fours), stitching a 101-run opening stand and bringing only the third century partnership for Lanka in women's WC. The duo also completed 858 runs as a partnership duo for Sri Lanka in ODIs, the most by a pair for any wicket, within just 21 innings, outdoing Dedunu de Silva and Chamari Polgampola (857 runs in 31 innings).

After Rosemary Mair (1/29) and skipper Sophie Devine (3/54) removed the openers to leave SL at 125/2, it was Hasini Perera (44 in 61 balls, with six fours) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (26 in 31 balls, with two fours) who stitched a third-wicket 58-run stand.

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However, Bree Illing (2/39) and Devine triggered a mini-collapse, leaving SL struggling at 198/5 in 42.4 overs.

Nilakshi (55* in 28 balls, with seven fours and a six) and Anushka Sanjeewani (6*) took SL to 258/6, their second-highest total in the World Cup after 282/5 against India at Brabourne in the 2013 edition.

Sri Lanka, which has not won a game yet and sits in the second-to-last spot with two losses and no result, will aim to secure its first win. (ANI)

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