England Leads CWC 2025 After Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone Shine Against Sri Lanka

  • October 11, 2025

The English squad prolonged their undefeated sequence in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 with a convincing triumph of 89 runs over Sri Lanka in Colombo. This game was strongly influenced by Nat Sciver-Brunt’s remarkable fifth century in the World Cup, along with Sophie Ecclestone’s impressive bowling, resulting in 4 dismissals for just 17 runs. After being put in to bat first, England managed to score a solid 253/9, recovering from a brief collapse in the middle order to establish a challenging score.

Despite some initial strength displayed by Sri Lanka, notably Harshitha Samarawickrama‘s encouraging score of 33, the team struggled against the consistent bowling of the English side. The loss of Chamari Athapaththu due to retirement impacted Sri Lanka’s prospects, and Ecclestone’s spin bowling proved to be a critical aspect. England’s consistent effort now situates them at the top spot of the eight-team standings, leading defending champions Australia by one point.

 Women’s World Cup 2025: Nat Sciver-Brunt shines with a tactical century for England

Entering the field at 49/2, Sciver-Brunt essentially single-handedly held up England’s batting performance, demonstrating outstanding control and timing. She and Heather Knight established a vital partnership, adding 60 runs together, before she ramped up the scoring toward the end, accumulating 49 runs in the final 5 overs. Her innings of 117 runs from 117 balls featured nine 4’s and a pair of 6’s, displaying both persistence and dominance. Notably, she benefited from an early reprieve when Udeshika Prabodhani dropped a catch when she was on just three runs, a missed opportunity Sri Lanka would come to regret.

Sciver-Brunt’s composure amidst the strain helped stabilize England’s innings, especially following the quick loss of the top-order wickets. The vice-captain Charlie Dean added considerable support, enabling Sciver-Brunt to show her power in a late stand for the ninth wicket alongside Linsey Smith. The century also held personal significance, demonstrated by her gesture towards her spouse Katherine and their child Theo in the audience. This achievement solidified her standing as England’s most important batter and among the leading run-scorers in Women’s World Cup history.

Also WATCH: CWC 2025: Sophie Ecclestone delivers peach of a ball to dismiss Chamari Athapaththu during ENG-W vs SL-W clash

 Women’s World Cup 2025: Sophie Ecclestone’s spin dominates Sri Lanka

Ecclestone’s skillful spin bowling broke apart Sri Lanka’s batting order, ending with stats of 4-17. She made great use of the match conditions, spinning the ball with great effect and varying her delivery to generate constant doubt among the batters. Athapaththu’s attempt at a drive resulted in an impressive dismissal, and the other batters struggled to interpret the spin, giving away straightforward catches. Ecclestone’s pinpoint accuracy made sure that Sri Lanka was unable to build any momentum following initial partnerships. Despite brief resistance from Hasini Perera and Samarawickrama, the English bowlers, spearheaded by Ecclestone, kept up intense pressure. Her effort was an ideal illustration of how clever spin bowling can impact a high-stakes match in the World Cup. With this victory in hand, England strengthened their claims as serious competitors moving into matches with India and Australia.

This article was initially available at WomenCricket.com, part of the Cricket Times group.

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