England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt produced a magnificent century to rescue her side from a shaky start and steer them to an 89-run victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo. The win restored England’s lead at the top of the Women’s World Cup standings after a challenging outing in tropical conditions.
England, batting first, struggled to build momentum and were in deep trouble at 168 for six before Sciver-Brunt anchored the innings with a run-a-ball 117. She was dropped on just three runs early in her innings—a costly miss for Sri Lanka as the England skipper made full use of the reprieve. Her knock included a mix of patience and precision, featuring 52 singles, before accelerating in the final overs with six boundaries to push England to 253 for nine. Tammy Beaumont contributed 32, while Inoka Ranaweera was the pick of Sri Lanka’s bowlers with figures of three for 33.
Sciver-Brunt’s century carried emotional significance as it was her first since the birth of her son, Theo, earlier in the year. After bringing up the milestone with a towering six over extra cover, she celebrated by cradling her bat in tribute to her family, who were watching from the stands.
Sri Lanka began their chase confidently, reaching 95 for one after 20 overs. However, their progress was derailed by a superb spell from left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who ripped through the middle order with figures of four wickets, including three maidens in her 10 overs. Her clever variations and accuracy dismantled Sri Lanka’s resistance, dismissing key batters such as Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, and captain Chamari Athapaththu.
England’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure as Sri Lanka crumbled to 164 all out in 45.4 overs. Sciver-Brunt capped off her all-round display with two wickets, while Charlie Dean and Ecclestone combined effectively to clean up the tail.
Despite the victory, England’s batting frailties were exposed, with only Sciver-Brunt showing the composure required to adapt to subcontinental conditions. Nevertheless, her leadership and world-class performance ensured England stayed on course for a semifinal berth, reaffirming her reputation as one of the finest all-rounders in the women’s game.
