Sri Lanka begin last-ditch push for qualification against Ireland

For all practical purposes, this is a contest between two teams playing for pride. Ireland have already been eliminated following defeats to Scotland, England and New Zealand, while Sri Lanka are clinging to slim qualification hopes after their five-wicket loss to West Indies. With only two games left, Chamari Athapaththu's side must win both and hope several other results go their way to keep their campaign alive.

The disappointment of the West Indies defeat was evident in Athapaththu's emotional post-match remarks, with the Sri Lanka captain describing it as "sadness beyond words". Sri Lanka's campaign has been marked by sharp fluctuations. An 87-run defeat to England left them with an NRR of -4.350 before a five-wicket win over New Zealand brought a +2.310 boost. But the latest defeat to West Indies, after they were bowled out for just 98, improved it by only +0.127, leaving them stranded at -1.913 and reliant on results elsewhere.

While Sri Lanka's bowlers have shown encouraging improvement since the England game, the batting has remained a major concern. Barring Nilakshika Silva, none of the batters have managed to make substantial contributions, leaving the side searching for answers at the most crucial stage of the tournament. Unless that changes quickly, even favourable results elsewhere may prove irrelevant.

Ireland, meanwhile, have their own batting woes to rue. After a heavy defeat to Scotland in their opener, they pushed both England and New Zealand close, including a narrow four-run loss in their previous outing. The margins may not have been enough to keep their campaign alive, but they have shown they can challenge stronger sides on their day. With nothing left to lose and only pride to play for, Ireland will be eager to finish their campaign strongly in their last two games.

When: Match 20, Tuesday, June 23 at 2:30 PM Local Time (7:00 PM IST)

Where: County Ground, Bristol

What to expect: This will be only the third game at this venue, and it follows the morning game between New Zealand and Scotland on the same day. In the only game played here so far, Sri Lanka were bundled out by the West Indies, who then took 16.1 overs to reach the target, losing five wickets in the process. There's an amber warning for extreme heat, with temperatures expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius.

Team news:

Sri Lanka: After starting the competition with an 18-ball 29, Harshitha Samarawickrama has had scores of 5 and 0. Sri Lanka could consider bringing in Hasini Perera in her place. Sri Lanka could also consider handing Chethana Vimukthi her first game of the tournament.

Probable XI: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Imesha Dulani, Harshitha Samarawickrama/Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushani Nuthyangana (wk), Kawya Kavindi/Chethana Vimukthi, Sugandika Kumari, Nimasha Meepage, Mithali Ayodhya

Ireland: Georgina Dempsey, Coulter Reilly and Jane Maguire haven't featured in this World Cup yet and Ireland could look at a couple of them as options in the playing XI.

Probable XI: Amy Hunter (wk), Gaby Lewis (c), Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Leah Paul, Alice Tector, Louise Little/Georgina Dempsey, Arlene Kelly, Aimee Maguire/Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Lara McBride

Did you know?

- Sri Lanka have a 4-1 head-to-head lead over Ireland in T20Is, with one abandoned game. The last time these two sides faced each other was in August 2024, when Ireland got their first win against Sri Lanka thanks to skipper Gaby Lewis' century

- Spinners have enjoyed greater success than pacers in the 11 women's T20Is played in Bristol, claiming 68 wickets to 51

What they said:

"I think I played around 18 years for the national team, I could never get a chance to take my team into a semifinal of a World Cup. Even though I have achieved many things personally, I think I'm a failure as a captain. I think that's a big pain for a player." - Chamari Athapaththu, after the loss to West Indies.