ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Puissant England Take On Mighty Sri Lanka

England Women will be in action for their third game of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. England are scheduled to face the host, Sri Lanka Women in match no. 12. This game starts at 3 PM IST on Saturday at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.The England side enter the contest with tremendous confidence, having secured convincing victories in their first two games. They have looked well-balanced in all departments, with their top order in fine touch and their bowling unit executing plans to perfection.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka will be hoping to bounce back and register their first win of the tournament. The hosts had a tough start, losing their opening match against India, but gained a valuable point after their second fixture against Australia was washed out due to rain.

ENG – W vs SL -W : Previous Performances

England have managed to win both of their matches played so far. Though the win against Bangladesh was very tight, they managed to go past the line. So, they will hope to keep the momentum.The England Women have gotten off to a strong start, winning their first two games and holding second position in the standings with four points. England has had a good record against the island nation and will look to continue that.

Sri Lanka Women have one win and one washed-out match. So, they are in desperate need of a win to get going.On the other hand, Sri Lanka has had a poor campaign so far. After losing their first game to India, their contest against Australia was abandoned, with the two teams sharing a point. Notably, the Chamari Athapaththu-led team is searching for its first win of the competition.

ENG -W vs SL -W : Head to Head

ENG -W vs SL -W : Pitch and Weather Report

The R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo offers a balanced pitch that is generally flat in nature, providing consistent bounce early on. However, as the match progresses, the surface tends to deteriorate, favouring spinners due to slower and grippier conditions. This will make spin bowling a significant factor in the middle overs. Pace bowlers are likely to get limited assistance from swing or seam on this subcontinental track, especially under day-night conditions.

The R. Premadasa Stadium is known to favor batters, with many high-scoring matches played at the venue. However, fast bowlers can exploit some help early on, while the spinners will come into play as the game progresses.R. Premadasa Stadium is a good wicket to bowl on. The overcast conditions help the fast bowlers get early swing. But as the game goes on, the spinners will come into play more. The toss will become important because chasing is a better option at this venue.

It has been drier in the last few days in Colombo, but the forecast is again for showers, which is normal for this time of year. Expect another track on which there will be turn. But the humidity at this time of year also makes for great swing-bowling conditions.

ENG -W vs SL -W : Big Picture : Sri Lanka eye another World Cup upset over unbeaten England

In 18 completed games against England, Sri Lanka have won only once. But that one win was worth 18 at least. Sri Lanka’s victory over England in the 2013 World Cup wasn’t just the upset of that particular tournament, it was a vital staging post in the march of women’s cricket on the smaller of these two islands.

Without that last-ball win at Brabourne, Sri Lankan women’s cricket would not be where it is now. Shashikala Siriwardene, Sri Lanka’s captain at the time, remembered it this way: “Our lives and our cricket changed with that match. It started with that game. We actually didn’t celebrate massively.

We shouted a little bit in the dressing room, and the coach said a few words. And then we just went to our rooms. But I couldn’t sleep! I was up most of the night remembering all the little things in that match, and the big moments. I was overjoyed. It was only the next day that I got a little sleep. I think that happened to a lot of the others as well.”

Since that match, England have won 10 ODIs against Sri Lanka on the bounce. There is no question who the favourites are on Saturday. England, additionally, have humbled South Africa, and eased past Bangladesh already in the tournament. Sri Lanka have one point from a washout against Australia, but lost their tournament opener to India in Guwahati.

England have surmised that while Sri Lanka have more batting weapons now than they used to have, their best chance of securing victory is to dismiss Chamari Athapaththu cheaply. England opener Tammy Beaumont said as much on the evening of the match: “Chamari will certainly be the one we’ll be desperate to get out. It’ll be really well planned for.” Athapaththu is no stranger to being one of the most-analysed players by oppositions, having been such a singular star for Sri Lanka for a decade.

And yet it feels accurate. If Sri Lanka are to topple England, it feels almost inescapable that Athapaththu will have to play a role. England, though, have a bowling attack brimming with confidence. They decked South Africa for 69 all out in their tournament opener, then restricted Bangladesh for 178 in their next game. England’s slow bowlers have been doing the damage. Finger-spinners Linsey Smith, Sophie Ecclestone, and Charlie Dean have 14 wickets between them, in two matches.

ENG -W vs SL -W : In the Spotlight : Inoka Ranaweera  and Sophie Ecclestone

Sophie Ecclestone has taken five wickets in just two games and is at the top of the bowling rankings.

Athapaththu may dominate opposition bowler’s minds ahead of a match against Sri Lanka, but left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera will have plenty of airtime in the batting discussions. In Sri Lanka’s first match, she took three wickets in one over to leave India 121 for 5, before they recovered (a theme of this World Cup so far). She finished with 4 for 46 in that match. If the Khettarama track takes turn – which it is likely to do – she will be difficult to handle again.

ENG -W vs SL -W : Vital Stats that matters

• Although she hit an important 62 in that 2013 win against England, Athapaththu’s numbers against this opposition are modest. She hasn’t hit another half-century against them in 13 other innings.
• One of Knight’s two half-centuries in Sri Lanka came at Khettarama. She strikes at 80.62 in the country, up from a career strike rate of 72.45.
• Although Sri Lanka have never beaten England in an ODI series, they did win a T20I series 2-1 in England in 2023.

ENG -W vs SL -W : Team News for England and Sri Lanka

England : 

England could stick with a winning XI for the third game running.

Probable Playing XI for England : Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones(w), Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt(c), Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlotte Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Sri Lanka :

Sri Lanka have been trying Hasini Perera as opener rather than Vishmi Gunaratne. They will likely retain that order for this match.

Probable Playing XI for Sri Lanka : Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera

ENG -W vs SL -W : Probable Top Performers

Probable Best Batter : Heather Knight 

In 11 innings against Sri Lanka, Heather Knight has three half-centuries, and an average of 50. In Sri Lanka, her returns are even better – 208 runs, four not outs, and an average of 52.00. She hasn’t batted on the island since 2019, though. Sri Lanka will be aware that Knight comes in to this match with some runs, having top-scored against Bangladesh with 79. Her vast experience and success in Asia is daunting.

England’s Heather Knight could be the best batter in the upcoming game against Sri Lanka. With 79 runs in two matches, Knight’s performances have been commendable, and she will hope for a good showing in the next game as well.

Probable Best Bowler: Linsey Smith

England’s Linsey Smith could be the best bowler in the upcoming clash against Sri Lanka. With five wickets in two matches, Smith has been in good form, and her team will be confident of a good performance from her in the next game.

ENG -W vs SL -W : Match Prediction