Nat Sciver-Brunt led from the front as her all-round performance went a long way in helping England beat Sri Lanka in Colombo. She was the star with the bat and also later chipped in with the ball when it really mattered. She is leading in her first major assignment but it seems that captaincy isn’t burdening her and she is leading from the front. She provides tremendous stability and balance to this English side and if she can continue performing, she will be a force to reckon with for sure.
Nat Sciver-Brunt came into bat when England were two down in the powerplay as Sciver-Brunt took guard. She played through the middle overs and at the end overs as well. She held the innings together and guided England to a total that was above par on that surface. She was given a reprieve while she was batting on 3 and made the most out of it by making Sri Lanka pay big time. Had it not been for Sciver-Brunt’s brilliant innings, England may well have struggled in this game.
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s magical 117 puts England in a strong position.Â
Nat Sciver-Brunt walked out to bat when England were 49/2 in 9.3 overs. There was a big moment in the game when Sciver-Brunt batting on 3 was dropped by Udeshika Prabodhani off Inoka Ranaweera. There was no looking back after that as Sciver-Brunt made Sri Lanka pay for the dropped chance. Nat Sciver-Brunt played through the innings and built important stands with Heather Knight and then with the others to set up the score for England.
The other players that played with her played around her and set England up. Sciver-Brunt also built important stands with Sophia Dunkley and also with Charlie Dean but the main character of the show was Nat Sciver-Brunt. She was the star of the show. She held the innings together and accelerated at the right time against the Sri Lankan spinners and got England to a total that was above par. The Sri Lankans tried their best but failed in the chase in the end.
The acceleration was well timed as Nat got runs at will and ever since the dropped catch, she hardly looked in trouble whatsoever. Sri Lanka chipped away at the wickets at the other end but they failed to prize out Nat Sciver-Brunt. She was the main wicket and Sri Lanka failed to get her out at the right time. Eventually she fell with one ball to go in the innings, but the damage was done as far as the game was concerned as she had put England in a commanding position and later chipped in with vital two wickets as well.
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s Performance Over the Years.Â
Nat Sciver-Brunt has had a stellar run in World Cups. This was her 5th World Cup hundred and is the most by any batter ever going past 4 each from Janette Brittin, Charlotte Edwards, and Suzie Bates. Nat Sciver-Brunt has a tremendous record against Sri Lanka as she has scored 523 runs in 10 innings at an average of 74.71 and strike rate of 120.22. She has scored 3 fifties and 2 hundreds against Sri Lanka.
In this tournament so far, Sciver-Brunt has scored 36 runs in 24 balls against pace and 113 off 134 balls against spin. She is also second on the list for most 50+ scores for England in ODIs. She has 35 fifties which is second only to the great Charlotte Edwards who has 55 fifties. Tammy Beaumont has 35 fifties, Claire Taylor has 31 fifties and Heather Knight has 29 fifties. Nat Sciver-Brunt is a legend of the game and the stats here prove that fully.
Nat Sciver-Brunt provides solidity and balance to the playing XI. Now, that she can bowl after recovering from an injury has added balance to the squad. Her medium fast bowling is handy in these sub-continental conditions as that allows England to play a plethora of spinners. When she was handicapped from bowling, it added problems to the balance of the squad, but now there is good balance in the squad. Her batting is the main contributing factor batting at 4. But never forget her useful contribution with the ball.
It was a one lady show as Sciver-Brunt showed her prowess and class and went a long way in helping England stay unbeaten and go top of the table with 6 points. They are one point ahead of the Aussies and 2 ahead of India. England looking good thanks to the prowess of Nat Sciver-Brunt.
What Lies Ahead.Â
The bandwagon moves from Colombo back to Visakhapatnam where we have a blockbuster lined up for you. It is India vs Australia in Match 13 of the ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025 at 3 PM IST on 12th October 2025. India have to play out of their skins to win against a strong Australian side who starts this match as overwhelming favourites. Let’s see how this game will pan out in Vizag.
Let’s hope that the rain stays away and we get a full game in at Visakhapatnam. Hope cricket is the winner at the end of the day.
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