England set a modest target of 113 runs for Pakistan under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method as the rain-affected ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 match was reduced to 31 overs at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Wednesday.
The former champions, after batting first, managed to collect 133/9 in the allotted 31 overs.
England made a dismal start to their innings as opener Tammy Beaumont became the first to fall, scoring just four from as many balls before being clean bowled by Diana Baig, leaving the team at 13-1 in 1.3 overs.
In the next over, Fatima Sana struck to remove England’s second opener Amy Jones for eight, putting the Three Lions under early pressure.
Pakistan maintained the momentum as Fatima claimed two more wickets in the seventh over, with skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt dismissed for four off 10 balls and Heather Knight for 18 off 17 deliveries, reducing England to 39-4 in 6.4 overs.
England continued to feel the pressure as Sadia Iqbal struck, dismissing Emma Lamb for four off five balls. She followed it up in the 12th by trapping Sophia Dunkley LBW for 11 off 21 deliveries.
Alice Capsey and Charlie Dean managed a short stand of 21 runs, but it was not enough as Rameen Shamim struck to pick up her first wicket, removing Capsey, who had scored 16 off 43, leaving the team at 78-7 in 23.1 overs.
England were reeling at 79/7 in 25 overs before rain intervened and hampered the action for almost four hours.
After the restart, bowling all-rounder Charlie Dean, who had made just five off 32 balls, pulled off a remarkable turnaround as she scored 28 off her next 19 deliveries to give a late boost to England’s total, until she fell victim to Pakistan captain Sana in the final.
She remained the top scorer for England with 33 off 51 deliveries, peppered with three boundaries.
Sana led the bowling charge for Pakistan with four wickets for just 27 runs in her six overs. She was supported by Sadia Iqbal, who bagged two, while Diana Baig and Rameen Shamim made one scalp each.
