Sports
Sciver-Brunt’s ton, Ecclestone’s four-fer power England past Sri Lanka
COLOMBO: Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt’s century and Sophie Ecclestone’s four-wicket haul powered England to an 89-run victory over Sri Lanka in the 12th match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 at R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.
Home side’s captain Chamari Athapaththu’s decision to field first backfired as England accumulated a formidable total of 253/9 in their allotted 50 overs.
Leading the way for the former champions was their captain Sciver-Brunt, who top-scored with a run-a-ball 117, studded with nine fours and two sixes.
Besides her, top-order batters Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight made notable contributions, with 32 and 29, respectively.
Inoka Ranaweera was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka, taking three wickets for 33 runs in her 10 overs, followed by Sugandika Kumari and Udeshika Prabodhani with two each, while Kavisha Dilhari made one scalp.
Chasing a 254-run target, Sri Lanka’s batting unit was booked for a meagre 164 in 45.4 overs, resulting in the co-host succumbing to their second defeat in the eight-team mega event.
Left-handed opener Hasini Perera remained the top-scorer for Sri Lanka with a cautious 35 off 60 deliveries, while middle-order batter Harshitha Samarawickrama (33) was the other to cross the 30-run mark.
Besides them, Nilakshika Silva (23), skipper Chamari Athapaththu (15), Vishmi Gunaratne and Anushka Sanjeewani, 10 each, could amass double figures against a ruthless England bowling attack, led by Sophie Ecclestone, who took four wickets for just 17 runs in her 10 overs.
Charlie Dean and Nat Sciver-Brunt supported Ecclestone with two each, while Linsey Smith and Alice Capsey chipped in with one apiece.
The 89-run victory helped England reclaim the top spot in the ICC Women’s World Cup standings as they now have six points in three matches, one more than arch-rivals Australia, who slipped to the second position.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka remained seventh, just above bottom-placed Pakistan, with one point in three fixtures.
Former England cricketer Moeen Ali has announced his return to the Pakistan Super League (PSL), saying he was excited to be part of the league’s “new era”.
After the 10th edition of the PSL earlier this year, the league is set for an expansion to eight teams, with the addition of two new franchises.
Meanwhile, Moeen, who has previously featured in the marquee league when he represented former champions Multan Sultans in the 2020 and 2021 editions, expressed his eagerness to rejoin the league.
Moeen stated that the PSL, since its advent in 2016, has “earned a reputation for top-level T20 cricket”, featuring close competition and talented players.
“I’m really excited to be joining HBL PSL in its New Era. The league has earned a reputation for top-level T20 cricket, with high-quality competition and world-class talent across every team,” Moeen wrote on Instagram.
The 38-year-old, who represented England in 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is during his illustrious career, was also a part of the Three Lions squad that made its historic tour of Pakistan in 2022 to play a three-match Test series. Besides that, Moeen has made several visits to the country.
Reflecting on his previous experiences in Pakistan, Moeen said that he enjoyed playing in the country and specifically praised the enthusiastic crowd, which he said pushes players to give their best on the field.
“Playing in Pakistan is always incredible; quality of cricket is outstanding and the passion and intensity from the crowd push you to bring your best,” he continued.
“I’m looking forward to being part of it all and creating some great memories along the way. Ready for another special experience Insha’Allah!”
His announcement comes just days after former South African captain Faf du Plessis pulled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to play in the upcoming PSL season.
In a post on Instagram on November 29, the renowned cricketer said that he would not put his name in the IPL auction this year.
“It’s a big decision, and one that comes with a lot of gratitude when I look back,” he wrote in his post.
The receiver has been plagued by injuries, but Sunday night against the Broncos, he gave Washington something to talk about other than a seventh straight loss.
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The good (Treylon Burks’s incredible catch) and bad (Washington’s record in prime time) from the Commanders’ seventh-straight loss.
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