England vs Sri Lanka: Can Sri Lanka Break Their Losing Streak in Women’s World Cup 2025?

Colombo (The Uttam Hindu): In the 12th match of the 2025 Women’s World Cup, England will face Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday. Sri Lanka is determined to open their account in the tournament, while England aims to continue their winning streak.

England has started the tournament on a high note, winning their first two matches. They defeated South Africa by 10 wickets in their opening encounter, followed by a 4-wicket victory over Bangladesh. Currently, England sits second on the points table.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has struggled to find form. The team lost their opening match against India by 59 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method and had another match abandoned due to rain, placing them seventh in the points standings.

Key players for Sri Lanka in this match will include Harshitha Samarawickrama, Chamari Athapaththu, and Nilakshi de Silva, with bowlers Devmi Vihanga and Inoka Ranaweera expected to challenge the English batting lineup.

England will rely on strong performances from Amy Jones and Nat Sciver-Brunt with the bat, while Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith are expected to make the opposition uneasy with their bowling.

Pitch reports suggest potential turn for spinners, while the moisture could aid swing bowling. Although Colombo has seen dry weather in recent days, rain remains a possibility. Saturday’s forecast predicts a high of 31°C and a low of 25°C.

Historically, England has dominated encounters against Sri Lanka in women’s ODIs. Since 1997, the teams have faced each other 20 times, with England winning 17 matches. Sri Lanka has managed just one victory, while two matches ended without a result.

Match Timing & Broadcast: The match will begin at 3 PM IST, with the toss half an hour earlier. Live coverage will be available on Star Sports Network, and streaming can be watched via the JioCinema app.

Sri Lanka Squad: Hasini Perera, Chamari Athapaththu (C), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (WK), Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasuriya, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera, Devmi Vihanga, Piumi Vathsala Badalge, Malki Madra, Imesha Dulani.

England Squad: Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (WK), Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt (C), Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlotte Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell, M Arlott, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge.