By successfully chasing down a modest target of 151 on a sluggish track in Southampton, Sri Lanka pulled off a famous upset victory against New Zealand. Despite a middle-order collapse that saw them slip to a precarious 55 for 4, Sri Lanka's resilient lower-order - spearheaded by Nilakshika Silva's brilliant 54 not out and a finishing cameo from Kaushani Nuthyangana - steered the chase home in the final over. Before Sophie Devine's counter-attacking 45 propelled the defending champions to 150, a disciplined bowling display had shackled the top order. Despite the loss in the opening game, New Zealand opted for continuity in their lineup, persisting with Georgia Plimmer ahead of the veteran Suzie Bates. However, the move did not result in the anticipated benefits. Plimmer was constrained by a disciplined bowling attack after Izzy Gaze was cheaply dismissed, making it difficult for her to bring urgency to the Powerplay. This early stagnation never allowed New Zealand any momentum even though skipper Amelia Kerr initially got going with back-to-back boundaries off Mithali Ayodhya. The mounting pressure of these sedate opening overs ultimately proved to be Plimmer's undoing. Attempting to cut a short delivery from Nimasha Meepage, she sent an outside edge directly to short third. The loss ended a 49-run partnership, New Zealand's best score on the day statistically, but one that severely harmed their momentum by consuming 46 costly deliveries. The much-needed momentum was immediately injected when Devine arrived at the crease. The scoreboard began to tick instantly as the former captain opened her account with a crisp boundary. Alongside Kerr, Devine spearheaded the recovery with the third-wicket pair plundering 43 runs in a mere 26 balls. Just as New Zealand looked poised to dominate, Kavisha Dilhari struck a double blow. Dilhari derailed the middle order by promptly accounting for Brooke Halliday and the well-set Kerr. Devine was forced to rebuild once more, and Maddy Green proved to be an effective ally. The duo built a brief partnership, dismantling the opposition for 30 runs across three overs. Yet, the need for acceleration proved fatal. Immediately after launching the only six of the New Zealand innings, Devine perished for 45. The New Zealand victory was effectively undone by Devine's departure. Sri Lanka clinically squeezed the lower order during the death overs, profiting from the breakthrough. On a surface that played arguably slower than New Zealand's previous outing at the venue, Sri Lanka restrcited them to a modest 150. Sri Lanka capitalized on the momentum gained at the tail end of their bowling innings to make a strong start to the chase. Chamari Athapaththu led the way with an aggressive, 19-ball cameo of 27 that included four boundaries and a six. She targeted Jess Kerr particularly hard before Bree Illing provided New Zealand with a much-needed breakthrough to end the enterprising opening stand. However, Sri Lanka unraveled against spin once the fielding restrictions were lifted. Nensi Patel took just five balls to make an impact, dismissing the other set opener for 17 off 19 deliveries before she could accelerate. Amelia then ran out Hasini Perera, who called for a second run but was beaten by a direct hit from the New Zealand captain. Harshitha Samarawickrama then dragged a delivery onto her stumps, giving Nensi her second wicket in as many overs and leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 55/4. While a collapse of 4 for 10 could have proved fatal to their upset hopes, the fifth-wicket pair stepped up. Nilakshika Silva joined Kavisha Dilhari to stitch together a crucial 50-run stand that put Sri Lanka back in business. Their resurgence coincided with the return of pace, as the duo picked off a boundary each against Devine to get the runs flowing again. Even after losing Dilhari to a run-out just as their fifty partnership was raised, Silva consistently found the rope and maintained her composure. Illing and Amelia Kerr both proved expensive in their respective final overs, leaking a couple of boundaries each to bring the equation down to 16 off the last 12 deliveries. Kaushani Nuthyangana struck a boundary immediately after Silva's half-century off 33 balls to reduce the required run total to 5 in the final over. Devine dragged the contest down to the final three balls, but Nuthyangana - capping off a brilliant day behind the stumps - hit the winning boundary amidst worsening rain to secure a famous victory for Sri Lanka.