A century from captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and a four-wicket haul from Sophie Ecclestone guided England to an 89-run victory over Sri Lanka in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. At the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, England posted a total of 253/9 before bowling out the co-hosts for 164 in 45.4 overs. The result maintained England’s unbeaten run in the tournament and moved them to the top of the points table.
After being put in to bat, skipper, Sciver-Brunt, scored a run-a-ball 117. Her knock proved critical after she was dropped on just three runs, an error that Sri Lanka would pay for dearly. The century was her fifth in ODI World Cups, the most by any batter in the tournament's history. Despite a disciplined effort from the Sri Lankan spinners, led by Inoka Ranaweera, 3/33, Sciver-Brunt’s partnerships through the middle overs ensured England reached a competitive total.
Sri Lanka’s chase was hampered early when captain Chamari Athapaththu was stretchered off with a cramp. A 58-run stand between Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama provided some stability, but the introduction of left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone turned the match decisively in England's favour. Ecclestone bowled her 10 overs in one spell, finishing with figures of 4/17 and dismantling the Sri Lankan top order, which included the crucial wicket of a returning Athapaththu for 15.
After the match, Sciver-Brunt explained her approach on a challenging pitch. "The pitch was a bit stoppy, inconsistent. Happy I was able to do that today," she said. "Not letting spinners settle, using lap sweeps, it’s good to have that in your armoury." The captain also praised her lead bowler's performance, stating, "She’s brilliant. To be able to hand her the ball and bowl 10 straight through, not go for many and pick up four wickets. It’s pretty special."
Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu lamented her team's fielding lapses and late-innings bowling. "We bowled really good, but the last three overs we struggled and they scored 30-40 runs," Athapaththu said. "The other thing is we dropped one catch, Nat Sciver, and catches win matches." The loss leaves Sri Lanka still searching for their first victory of the tournament.