Both sides would rather talk cricket than clouds, yet the clouds keep holding the conversation. New Zealand reach Saturday’s fixture on three points from four matches, Pakistan on one after the damp draw with England. No-one inside either dressing-room is panicking, but everyone knows World Cup campaigns disappear quickly once the points table hardens.
“It’s just something that we’ve got to roll with,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said when the weather was mentioned yet again. “I’ve been around this a long time and there’s lots of things you can’t control, and weather’s one of those.”
Forecasts suggest further interruptions at Khettarama, a ground where batting has rarely looked straightforward and where Pakistan are starting to feel at home. They have played four times in Colombo already; New Zealand have batted there not at all after their meeting with Sri Lanka was washed away mid-match.
Key facts first
• New Zealand: 1 win, 1 wash-out, 2 defeats – net run-rate hovering around the middle.
• Pakistan: 0 wins, 1 wash-out, 3 defeats – searching for the first full haul of points.
• Rain probability on match-day: high (again).
• Main performers so far: Sophie Devine 260 runs, Brooke Halliday 142; Pakistani spinners sharing 23 wickets between them.
Sawyer felt his bowlers had set up a chaseable target against Sri Lanka. “I thought we bowled really well,” he said. “It was a target that we thought we could chase. We just didn’t get the chance to do that. So practised really hard the last couple of days and yeah, ready to go for Pakistan tomorrow.”
Pakistan’s view
Confidence in the Pakistan camp climbed during the abandoned England match. Seamer discipline met tidy spin, and for once the top order broke the back of the target before the rain broke the back of the match.
“The pitches are supporting the bowlers, especially spinners. Our spin department and fast bowling department are also doing great,” opener Omaima Sohail noted. “But we need to step up in our batting.”
That batting had been a clear concern earlier in the tournament. Runs for Muneeba Ali and Sidra Ameen against England suggested progress, though neither player finished the job. Sohail added: “We played here four matches, so now we know what the situations and what the pitch acts [like]. So, we know what to do in upcoming matches. We will do better hopefully.”
What New Zealand are watching
Sawyer is not fooled by Pakistan’s solitary point. “Their top order is, they made it look like light work of maybe chasing down that total the other night,” he said. “So, they’ve been impressive. They’ve really challenged a couple of weeks or two of the top nations. So, been impressed in particular with their bowling.”
The New Zealand coach accepts his own line-up remains top-heavy. Sophie Devine, typically, has done the bulk of the damage; Brooke Halliday keeps finding ways to graft runs on tricky surfaces. The remainder of the order has flickered rather than burned.
“They’ve [Devine and Halliday] looked great and to me, I know it might sound a bit silly, but it’s really exciting,” Sawyer said. “Yeah, we have had probably two batters do the bulk of the work for us at the mome” – the Kiwi coach tailed off, almost catching himself before turning the sentence into an admission his middle order still owes a score.
Tactical strands
• Spinners: Both sides expect sharp turn once the new ball softens. Ish Sodhi’s wrist-spin could be matched by Tuba Hassan’s leg-breaks.
• New-ball battle: Lea Tahuhu v Sidra Ameen likely shapes Pakistan’s innings.
• Weather: teams must stay mentally switched on through stop-start passages; a shortened game drags the DLS sheet into play.
In simple terms New Zealand need a win to stay in touch with the semi-final race, Pakistan need one to get on the road at all. The skills are there on both sides; the question, again, is whether the rain will let them show it.
