ENG-W vs SL-W

As mentioned earlier, with this victory, England have now leapfrogged Australia to regain the apex spot on the points table. However, the defending champions will have the chance to topple them tomorrow when they lock horns with India at Vizag. We are hearing that the tickets for that game have been sold out. So, expect a full house, the air crackling with chants of support for the home team and, most importantly, some good cricket.

Team Sportskeeda will be here again to ensure that you don't miss a beat of that marquee clash. So, do join us tomorrow. For now, this is Darpan and Pradeep bidding you goodbye! See you soon!

Natalie Sciver-Brunt (England captain): "We started pretty well. At the start it looked pretty easy to score. There was a bit inconsistency against spin and bounce. I thought I adapted well. Towards the end, it felt like it was coming on a lot easier. Picking length was pretty important. It was about not letting spinners settle easily. It is great to have the lap sweep in your armoury, it allows you to manouver the ball and put pressure on the bowlers. She is brilliant. To be able to hand her the ball, and today she bowled 10 on the bounce, that is pretty special. Really pleased for her. We have played well in patches. But haven't quite played the perfect game yet."

Chamari Athapaththu [Sri Lanka captain]: "Actually, we bowled really well throughout the 50 overs. But in the last few overs, we struggled a bit, and they managed to score around 30–40 runs. Still, at the end of the day, I think our bowlers did a really good job. The other thing is, we dropped one catch of Nat Sciver, and she went on to score a hundred. As they say, catches win matches. That one drop made a big difference in this game. I do feel we’ve improved a little bit, but there’s still a lot more to work on before the next match. We just need to stick to our plans and execute them at the right time. In terms of batting, we’ve changed the batting order a bit this year. I’ve also batted at No. 3, but personally, I feel my place is as an opener — I always bat better at the top of the order. We made a few changes today as well, and hopefully, we can sort those things out. The next game is very important for us, so we’ll discuss everything in the team meeting and look to bounce back stronger.
We’ve got eight days off now, which gives us some time to work on those areas. But as a team, and as captain, I have no excuses. At the end of the day, as professional cricketers, we have to perform out there in the middle. Physically, I’m feeling okay. I did struggle a bit in the first over, but I’m fine now. With two days of rest, I hope to be back to my best in the next game. We’re really looking forward to it."

Natalie Sciver-Brunt is the Player of the Match! Here's what she has to say: "I guess build a partnership with Heather. Make sure that we build something so that the batters coming in can really accelerate towards the end of the innings, which obviously didn't quite happen. We talk about it all the time, having a set batter in towards the end of the innings is so important, especially when the wicket probably is a little bit sloppy, a little bit inconsistent. I'm really happy that I was able to do that today. It was a phase at around 40 overs where it looked a bit tough for scoring. The spinners bowled very well. It was turning quite a bit, so just being really precise on the shots that you want to play and executing them. I felt like scoring down the ground was my best bet, trying not to turn too much on the ball. I tried to do that for as long as possible. (On the baby celebration) I had thought about that before, but scoring a century is very special. The first one I was capped to as well, so I'm very happy."

10:13 PM IST: England win by 89 runs.

Natalie Sciver-Brunt 117 (117) & 2/25 (5) | Sophie Ecclestone 4/17 (10)
Hasini Perera 35 (60) | Inoka Ranaweera 3/33 (10)

England continue to stay undefeated in this tournament. Moreover, with this comprehensive win today, they have now leapfrogged Australia and regained the apex spot on the points table.  The best part is that they have found different heroes in each of those games. Today was headlined by two players who have done it time and time again for them — Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone.

Some would say that it was only a matter of time before their captain played a an impactful knock in this tournament. After all, such has been the consistency with which Sciver-Brunt has scored her runs over the years. She lit up the afternoon with her delectable stroke-play. She scored 9 fours and 2 sixes on her way to a splendid 117, which her team post a good score of 253/9. 

However, Sri Lanka seemed to be in the chase, at least until Ecclestone was given the ball. Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama had both made played impressive knocks of 30-odd each and were making sure that Sri Lanka don't fall too far behind the rate. 

But then, the tall left arm spinner put a masterclass on display. Spin, bounce, drift — she had it all. The batters tried to throw her off by going for some brash shots and in that, lost their wickets. In the end, Ecclestone finished with drool-worthy figures of 10-3-17-4. Her spell broke the back of the SL batting and eventually the effervescence fizzled out.

Another player who must get a special mention is Charlotte Dean, who made notable contributions in all three departments. Overall, it is a performance that England fans will be delighted with. 

45.4 Linsey Smith to Udeshika Prabodhani, OUT! CHIPPED STRAIGHT TO SCIVER-BRUNT AND TAKEN! It's all over! England clinch their third straight win in this World Cup and they top the group. On a length outside the off-stump, Prabodhani couldn't keep the drive down, straight to the skipper at short extra-cover. Sri Lanka remain winless.

45.3 Linsey Smith to Udeshika Prabodhani, OH! Length delivery in the channel, Prabodhani leans to drive, but that beats the outside edge to the keeper.