Pakistan were on a roll courtesy of Fatima Sana their skipper but they couldn’t get the win as rain had other ideas in Colombo. Persistent rain throughout the evening meant despite the best of efforts, the match was called off as both teams shared a point. Fatima Sana’s 4-wicket haul bamboozled England as they kept England to 133/9 in 31 overs. While chasing a revised target of 113 runs in 31 overs, Pakistan were 34/0 in 6.4 overs when heavens opened up and had the last say in the game.
Fatima Sana’s 4-wicket haul limits England to 133/9 in 31 overs
Put into bat first, Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont came out to bat for England while captain Fatima Sana had ball in hand for Pakistan. Jones got off the mark with a boundary to deep backward square leg. She got another boundary away through extra cover and point for a boundary. Diana Baig came onto bowl from the other end and she overstepped. Beaumont slashed her away through extra cover for a boundary. Baig got rid of Beaumont for 4 off 4 balls.
It was a good length delivery that pitched wide and then skewed inwards to clip the top of off-stumps. Beaumont shouldered arms and the ball hit the stumps. Heather Knight came to the crease next and got off the mark by guiding it to cover point region for a boundary. Knight then flicked it away to backward square leg for a boundary. Fatima continued and got rid of Jones for 8 off 8 balls with 2 boundaries to her name.
Good length delivery pitching outside off, Jones went for the drive as the ball came back in as the lack of foot movement from the batter meant there was a huge gap between bat and the body as the ball sneaked through to clatter the stumps. Nat Sciver-Brunt the captain came out to bat next. Baig continued as Nat whipped her away between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Sana thought she had dismissed Knight. But the batter reviewed and got it overturned in her favour. Sana then appealed for LBW but the impact was outside off-stump and the review was burnt. Knight then walked out of her crease and patted it away to backward point boundary.
Baig continued as Knight opened the face of the bat and guided it to deep third fence. Sana removed her opposite number for 4 off 10 balls with a boundary to her name. Length delivery from over the wicket pitching outside off-stump that nipped back in sharply off the surface, Nat was looking to cut but was cramped for room. The ball took the bottom edge and cannoned into the stumps. Sophia Dunkley came to bat next and got off the mark to get to 1000 ODI runs.
Sana then removed Knight for 18 off 17 balls with 4 fours to her name. Sana bowled a good length delivery outside off-stump nipped back in. Knight shuffled across and looked to defend but got beaten on the inside edge and wore it on the front pad. The appeal was given. Knight reviewed and this time it showed three reds as England lost their review as well. Emma Lamb came to the crease and got off the mark straightaway.
Sadia Iqbal came into the attack next. She bowled a decent first over. Dunkley shimmied down the track and drove Sana to the left of mid-off for a boundary. Sana gave away 4 byes to the batting side. Sadia then removed Lamb for 4 off 5 balls. Sadia bowled an arm ball on a fuller length outside off-stump, Lamb hung back and looked to block but got beaten on the inside edge. The ball crashed into the off-stump. Alice Capsey came out to bat next. At the end of 10 overs, England were reeling at 54/5.
Nashra Sandhu came into the attack post the powerplay and bowled a miserly over to start her spell. Sadia then removed Dunkley with great usage of DRS. Sadia bowled full and on the stumps, Dunkley got down on one knee and looked to paddle sweep it again. She missed as the ball rolled of her pads in the leg side as they took a single. DRS was taken when umpire said no. There was no bat and Ball Tracking showed three reds and decision had to be reversed to OUT. Charlie Dean came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Sandhu continued and bowled a decent over. Sadia too kept things under check. Sandhu bowled a rare maiden over. Capsey broke the shackles a little bit as she slammed it straight by coming down the pitch to drill it past mid-on for a boundary. Sandhu bowled another tidy over. Rameen Shamim came into the attack next and should have had Capsey but Muneeba Ali put down a sitter at square leg.
Capsey then pummelled Sandhu through long-on for a boundary. Shamim bowled another quiet over. Sandhu bowled another maiden over. Shamim bowled another maiden over. Sandhu kept things under check. Shamim then got rid of Capsey for 16 off 43 balls with 2 boundaries to her name. Shorter than a fuller length, Capsey went down on one knee to try and sweep it. The ball spun enough to evade the swishing blade of hers and pinged the front leg. Appeal was given. The review was made in hope and three reds meant England had burnt their reviews. Emily Arlott came out to bat next. She got off the mark soon. Sadia continued and bowled a maiden over.
At the end of 25 overs, England were 79/7 at the halfway stage of the innings when the rain got heavier and players walked off the field. The steady rain and thundershower persisted for a long time and after 3-4 hours play resumed. Rain stopped around 7:30 PM IST and the ground staff did their mopping up job and got the ground ready in time by 8:30 PM IST for a restart. The game was reduced to 31 overs a side game.
Omaima Sohail was introduced into the attack after a lengthy rain break. Dean survived a close run out scare at the bowling end. Shamim continued as Dean reverse swept her in front of point for a boundary. Sohail continued as Arlott hit a boundary through midwicket region as the 100 came up for England in 28 overs. Arlott hit Shamim for a boundary through the fine leg region.
Omaima dropped a caught and bowled chance off her own bowling as Arlott got a life. Dean then whacked Sohail for a boundary by swatting the ball away to wide long-on fence. Dean also hit Sohail for a boundary by slashing it towards point region. Arlott then was run out for 18 off 23 balls with 2 fours to her name when batters tried to steal a bye. Sarah Glenn came out to bat next.
Sana came to bowl the final over and she dismissed Dean for 33 off 51 balls with 3 fours to her name. Sana speared in on the fuller side of good length at the off and middle stump. Dean shuffled to the off-side early and brought out the lap shot but failed to clear Omaima at short fine leg. The fielder stretched her arms upwards to grab the ball. Linsey Smith came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Smith got a triple while Glenn got a brace as England ended their innings at 133/9 in 31 overs. 10 extras given by fielding side.
Fatima Sana was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/27 in 6 overs. Sadia Iqbal supported her with 2/16 in 6 overs. Diana Baig chipped in with 1/25 in 3 overs. Rameen Shamim chipped in with 1/22 in 6 overs. Nashra Sandhu bowled 7 overs for 12 runs while Omaima Sohail finished with 0/26 in 3 overs. DLS was applied and Pakistan’s target for 113 in 31 overs.
Openers get off to a solid start before rain returns and has the final say on the game
Chasing a revised target of 113 in 31 overs, Muneeba Ali and Omaima Sohail came out to bat for Pakistan while England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt had ball in hand for England. Muneeba got off the mark with a boundary as she rocked back and cut the short and wide delivery through deep backward point. Linsey Smith had ball in hand from the other end. She bowled a tight first over. Sciver-Brunt continued and lost her radar by gifting 5 wides to the batting side.
Smith thereafter, bowled a full toss which Sohail punched it through extra cover for a boundary. Sohail was on a roll as she now unfurled a front foot drive through the covers. Emily Arlott came into the attack next. Sohail got an outside edge and went away past short third for a boundary. Sohail then lunged forward and unfurled another splendid drive through point and short third for a boundary.
Charlie Dean was introduced into the attack. She started with a maiden over as Pakistan were 33/0 in 6 overs at the end of the powerplay under revised playing conditions. Arlott continued and bowled 4 balls when the rain returned and got heavy forcing the umpires to call for the covers.
Rain came and never relented after that and it meant the match was called off as a no result. Muneeba was unbeaten on 9 off 22 balls with a boundary to her name while Sohail was unbeaten on 19 off 18 balls with 4 boundaries to her name. 6 extras given by England in 6.4 overs.
4 bowlers used by England and no one could get a wicket as rain came and saved them the blushes and gave them a point where they were supposed to lose the game. But they will take it and go back to the top of point table with 7 points. Pakistan get their first point in this tournament. Pakistan still in 8th and last place after this point.
What Lies Ahead
The bandwagon shifts back to India from Colombo and onto Visakhapatnam where Australia the 7-time champions will do battle with spirited Bangladesh from 3 PM today on 16th October 2025. Australia the favourites, but Bangladesh will give some fight through their spinners. Let’s see how this game pans out for both teams.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Australia Look To Extend Unbeaten Run Against Spirited Bangladesh