All round performance by Nat Sciver-Brunt crushes Lankans
Venue
Toss & Decision
Toss
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl, sending
England in first.
Pitch Prediction (Pre-match)
Colombo, October 11, 2025 — Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first, putting England in first. England’s innings started shakily after early setbacks, but captain Nat Sciver-Brunt anchored the recovery with a brilliant 117 off 117 balls, steering them to 253/9 in their 50 overs.
Sri Lanka began their chase positively, reaching 89/1, before England’s spin attack—led by Sophie Ecclestone (4 for 17)—struck hard to trigger a collapse. The hosts were bundled out for 164 in 45.4 overs, handing England a solid 89-run victory. The Player of the Match was Nat Sciver-Brunt for her match-defining ton.
England vs Sri Lanka Women
Colombo — England 253/9 (50) beat Sri Lanka 164 (45.4) by 89 runs.
| Total | 253/9 (50.0) |
| Top batters | Nat Sciver-Brunt 117 (117); Tammy Beaumont 32 (29); Heather Knight 29 (47) |
| Best SL bowlers | Inoka Ranaweera 3/33; Udeshika Prabodhani 2/55; Sugandika Kumari 2/66 |
| Total | 164 all out (45.4) |
| Top batters | Hasini Perera 35 (60); Harshitha Samarawickrama 33 (37) |
| Best ENG bowlers | Sophie Ecclestone 4/17; Nat Sciver-Brunt 2/25; Charlie Dean 2/47 |
Have a look at the starting XI for England and Sri Lanka.
England Women vs Sri Lanka Women — Starting XIs
England Women
Playing XI- Tammy Beaumont Batter
- Amy Jones Wicket-keeper (wk)
- Heather Knight Batter
- Nat Sciver-Brunt Captain (c), All-rounder
- Sophia Dunkley Batter
- Emma Lamb All-rounder
- Alice Capsey All-rounder
- Charlotte Dean All-rounder
- Sophie Ecclestone Bowler
- Linsey Smith Bowler
- Lauren Bell Bowler
Sri Lanka Women
Playing XI- Hasini Perera Batter
- Chamari Athapaththu Captain (c)
- Harshitha Samarawickrama Batter
- Vishmi Gunaratne Batter
- Kavisha Dilhari All-rounder
- Nilakshi de Silva Batter
- Anushka Sanjeewani Wicket-keeper (wk)
- Dewmi Vihanga All-rounder
- Sugandika Kumari Bowler
- Udeshika Prabodhani Bowler
- Inoka Ranaweera Bowler
Sources: Cricbuzz Playing XI (match page) and ESPNcricinfo (match Playing XI / live page).
Brunt’s rescue job, then lift-off
As England slipped to 168/6 while Natt Sciver-Brunt was stable at the other end, absorbing pressure initially and cashed in late with 9 fours and 2 sixes. She played with a strike-rate if 100.00. Her century was timely and tidy.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera kept it honest with 3/33. Yet, England still reached a competitive 253/9 thanks to handy late nudges.
Fun-fact: This was Sciver-Brunt’s fifth Women’s World Cup ton, pushing her past coach Charlotte Edwards’ World Cup century tally. She also became the first England captain to score a World Cup hundred since Edwards in 2009. Record-book, updated.
Sri Lanka start well, then Ecclestone happens
Sri Lanka began smartly. 89/1 and cruising. However, Ecclestone changed the feel of the night. She drifted. She dipped. She attacked pads. Result? 4 wickets for 17. In addition, Charlie Dean and Sciver-Brunt chipped in. Consequently, the chase shrank from calm to crisis. All out 164. Game done with 26 balls left.
Mini-insight: England’s field placements were bold. Short midwicket for Athapaththu. Catchers in front of square for Samarawickrama. Therefore, singles dried up and risks increased. The collapse was not an accident; it was engineered.
What were the turning points
- Jones run-out (3.4 ov) sparked early nerves; Sri Lanka’s ground fielding was sharp. Still, England rebuilt. Cricbuzz
- Double strike at 34th over: Emma Lamb and Alice Capsey fell at 168 within four balls — a pivot moment England somehow rode through. Cricbuzz
- Ecclestone’s second spell: broke 89/1 into 98/3 within 4 overs. Momentum flipped.
What does the result mean for the tournament
England move 3–0 and top the table. They’re adapting well to sub-continent conditions: slower decks, low bounce, heavy spin workloads. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka remain scrappy and inventive with the ball, but they need longer batting partnerships to compete late into chases. Next up, England face Pakistan in Colombo; the same template — bat deep, spin squeeze — should travel well.
Women’s World Cup 2025 — Points Table
| Pos | Team | W | L | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 3 | 0 | 6 | +1.864 |
| 2 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 5 | +1.960 |
| 3 | India | 2 | 1 | 4 | +0.953 |
| 4 | South Africa | 2 | 1 | 4 | -0.888 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 1 | 2 | 2 | -0.245 |
| 6 | Bangladesh | 1 | 2 | 2 | -0.357 |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | 0 | 2 | 1 | -1.515 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 0 | 3 | 0 | -1.887 |
