A dominant performance from Pakistan was overshadowed by dark rain clouds and persistent showers as Fatima Sana's side and England shared points in their 2025 ODI Women's World Cup match at the R.. Premadasa Stadium here on Thursday.
Here are the key talking points from the England vs Pakistan World Cup match:
Pacers make merry
After opting for the pitch, Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana and Diana Baig made the most of the swing and seam movement offered by the Premadasa strip to pick early wickets. Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones were sent back within the first three overs of the match with adept use of nip backers to stun the England batters.
But the icing on the cake was a long ball that slid off the seam to England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, rattling the top of her middle stump. Heather Knight, who survived two appeals, could not survive Fatima Sana's leg trap earlier, leaving England gingerly at 38 for four.
The top order's inability to negotiate the seam bowling duo and the disciplined spin bowling discipline of Sadia Iqbal, who was brought in to double down on run flow pressure, does not inspire confidence as the tournament heads into the business end.
The weather has the last laugh
At every stage of this match, Pakistan had the upper hand but the rain came and dampened hopes of the first win of the tournament. Pakistan reduced England to 78 for seven in 25 overs when rain gave England a reprieve. When play resumed almost four hours later, the match was reduced to a 31-overs-a-side affair, leaving England with six more to boost their total. A 47-run stand for the eighth wicket between Charlie Dean and Em Arlott proved crucial in helping England reach 133 for 9 in 31 overs.
Given rain delays, Pakistan were given an adjusted target of 113 in 31 overs and got off to a great start, hacking 34 runs in the first six overs when the covers were put back on. According to DLS calculations, Pakistan was well ahead of the DLS required score, which was 14. But as the match was far from the minimum 20-over mark and the cut-off time was too close, the match was abandoned. It was a positive effort from all departments of the Women in Green and they will feel deeply affected because the result is not to their liking.
Jailbreak for out-of-form England batsman
Take a look at the batting form of England's top five.
Amy Jones: 40* (vs. SA), 1 (vs. BAN), 11 (vs. SL), 8 (vs. PAK)
Tammy Beaumont: 21* (vs SA), 13 (vs BAN), 32 (vs SL), 4 (vs PAK)
Heather Knight: DNB (vs SA), 79* (vs BAN), 29 (vs SL), 18 (vs PAK)
Nat Sciver-Brunt: DNB (vs SA), 32 (vs BAN), 117 (vs SL), 4 (vs PAK)
Sophia Dunkley: DNB (vs. SA), 0 (vs. BAN), 18 (vs. SL), 11 (vs. PAK)
Emma Lamb: DNB (vs SA), 1 (vs BAN), 13 (vs SL), 4 (vs PAK)
If it was Nat Sciver-Brunt who anchored England against Sri Lanka and Heather Knight against Bangladesh, it was the weather that worked its magic for England against Pakistan, with the top order cutting a sorry figure in Colombo. The range of regular scores from a large part of the experienced English batting order was insufficient at this World Cup.
In this match against Pakistan, on a Colombo strip that has not generally achieved high scores, England registered 124 dot balls in the 186 deliveries faced in total. It's not a number that coach Charlotte Edwards will be very happy with.
Published on October 16, 2025
