Twenty20 World Cup: White Ferns keep semifinal hopes alive after crushing win over Sri Lanka

Fran Jonas and the White Ferns celebrate a wicket. Photo / Getty

The White Ferns’ Twenty20 World Cup hopes are still alive – now they need a big favour.

Having looked dead and buried after heavy defeats to Australia and South Africa, the Ferns have resurrected their campaign – and their net run rate – with similarly big wins over Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

However, their chances of making the semifinals are still highly unlikely, needing winless Bangladesh to beat South Africa on Wednesday morning in order to advance. A South African victory will see Australia and South Africa as the two semifinalists from the group.

The Ferns have at least salvaged some degree of respect after their abysmal start. While always expected to easily account for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the Ferns did so in dominant fashion in both games, when nothing less would have sufficed to keep their campaign alive.

Their thumping 102-run victory over Sri Lanka sees them jump ahead of their opponents on net run rate (0.138 to –1.460), with both teams on four points. South Africa sit on two points, but their 0.685 run rate means a victory over Bangladesh will be enough to make the semis.

That’s by far the most likely outcome, but the fact the Ferns even have a chance is due to their improved batting.

After being routed in their first two games, the Ferns have had strong partnerships in their last two matches, including a snappy 46-run opening stand against Sri Lanka between Bernadine Bezuidenhout and Suzie Bates, before Bates and Amelia Kerr added 110 for the second wicket.

They were aided by woeful Sri Lankan fielding, with Bezuidenhout and Bates both being dropped and also avoiding two seemingly surefire runouts, but Kerr was untroubled as she made her maiden T20 international 50.

Bates also had a milestone with her 25th half-century, and the pair’s 110-run stand came off 83 balls.

With so much of New Zealand’s success predicated on one of their top order batters going big, having two contribute was a luxury, and Bates (56 off 49) and Kerr (66 off 48) saw them reach 162-3.

Sri Lanka were never likely to reach 163, but they had another target to aim for, with 124 needed to keep their net run rate ahead of New Zealand’s and eliminate the Ferns from the Cup.

However, early wickets meant neither was going to happen.

Five bowlers contributed a wicket in the first nine overs, with Kerr’s lbw of skipper Chamari Athapaththu the most pivotal as Sri Lanka slumped to 35-5, before Kerr completed a fine all-round performance with the final wicket as Sri Lanka’s meagre resolve ended on 60.

Now, the White Ferns wait, and hope for a Bangladeshi boilover.