Sri Lanka Aim for Another World Cup Upset Against England

Sri Lanka Aim for Another World Cup Upset Against England

Sri Lanka have faced England 18 times in women’s ODIs — and claimed victory only once. But that solitary win was historic. Their last-ball triumph over England in the 2013 World Cup wasn’t just the biggest shock of that tournament — it marked a turning point for Sri Lankan women’s cricket.

Reflecting on that day at Brabourne Stadium, former captain Shashikala Siriwardene said:
"Our lives and our cricket changed with that match. We didn’t celebrate much — a few shouts in the dressing room and then straight to our rooms. But I couldn’t sleep. I kept replaying every moment. I was overjoyed. I think many of us were."

Since then, England have dominated the rivalry, winning the last 10 ODIs in a row. Heading into Saturday’s clash, there is no doubt about the favourites. England have already crushed South Africa and eased past Bangladesh in this tournament. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have only one point — earned from a washout against Australia — after losing their opener to India.

England have made it clear that their main strategy is to remove Chamari Athapaththu early. Opener Tammy Beaumont said before the match:
"Chamari is the one we’ll be desperate to get out. We’ve planned for her well."

It’s a familiar situation for Athapaththu — often the lone match-winner in her side. If Sri Lanka are to pull off another miracle, her contribution will almost certainly be crucial. But England’s bowling unit is in deadly form — bowling South Africa out for 69 and restricting Bangladesh to 178. Their spin trio of Linsey Smith, Sophie Ecclestone, and Charlie Dean has already taken 14 wickets in just two games.

Form (Last Five Matches)

• Sri Lanka: L L L W W
• England: W W L W L

Players to Watch

Inoka Ranaweera (Sri Lanka)

While Athapaththu grabs headlines, left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera is just as vital. In Sri Lanka’s opener, she took three wickets in one over against India and finished with 4/46. If the Khettarama pitch offers turn — as expected — she could be a major threat again.

Heather Knight (England)

In 11 innings against Sri Lanka, Heather Knight averages 50, with three fifties. In Sri Lanka, her record is even better: 208 runs with an average of 80.62. She top-scored with 79 against Bangladesh in the last match, and her experience in Asian conditions makes her a major danger.

Pitch & Conditions

Colombo has seen drier weather recently, but rain remains likely — typical for this time of year. Expect spin-friendly surfaces, with humid conditions aiding swing.

Probable XIs

Sri Lanka: Hasini Perera, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Harshith Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dihari, Nilakshika de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasuriya, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera

England: Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Stats & Trivia

• Despite scoring a crucial 62 in the 2013 upset, Athapaththu hasn’t scored another fifty against England in 13 innings since.
• One of Knight’s two fifties in Sri Lanka was scored at Khettarama.
• Sri Lanka have never beaten England in an ODI series, but did win a T20I series 2-1 in England in 2023.