Chamari Athapaththu emerges as a pivotal figure as the co-hosts aim to ignite their tournament campaign against a formidable opponent.
Big Picture: Sri Lanka Eye Another World Cup Upset
In their 18 completed encounters, Sri Lanka has secured just one victory against England. However, that solitary win in the 2013 World Cup was monumental, marking a significant turning point for women`s cricket on the island. It was a last-ball thriller at Brabourne that, according to then-captain Shashikala Siriwardene, `changed our lives and our cricket.` The emotional impact was profound, with players struggling to sleep after the historic upset.
Since that iconic match, England has dominated, winning ten consecutive ODIs against Sri Lanka. As Saturday`s match approaches, England stands as the clear favourite, having already convincingly defeated South Africa and Bangladesh in the current tournament. Sri Lanka, conversely, earned a point from a rain-affected match against Australia but lost their opening fixture to India in Guwahati.
England`s strategy revolves around neutralizing Sri Lanka`s key batter, Chamari Athapaththu. England opener Tammy Beaumont openly stated, `Chamari will certainly be the one we`ll be desperate to get out. It`ll be really well planned for.` Athapaththu, a singular star for Sri Lanka for over a decade, is accustomed to being the primary focus of opposition analysis. Indeed, it seems almost inevitable that her performance will dictate Sri Lanka`s chances of an upset.
England`s bowling attack is brimming with confidence, having restricted South Africa to a mere 69 runs and Bangladesh to 178 in their initial matches. Their slow bowlers, particularly finger-spinners Linsey Smith, Sophie Ecclestone, and Charlie Dean, have been exceptional, collectively claiming 14 wickets across two games.
Form Guide:
- Sri Lanka: LLLWW (most recent first)
- England: WWLWL
In the Spotlight: Inoka Ranaweera and Heather Knight
Inoka Ranaweera
While Athapaththu captures attention, left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera will be a crucial topic in batting discussions. In Sri Lanka`s opening match, she ripped through India`s lineup with three wickets in a single over, finishing with impressive figures of 4 for 46. If the Khettarama pitch offers turn, as expected, her spell will be challenging for England to navigate.
Heather Knight
England`s Heather Knight boasts an impressive record against Sri Lanka, with three half-centuries and an average of 50 in 11 innings. Her performance in Sri Lanka is even better, with 208 runs, four not-outs, and an average of 52.00, though she last played there in 2019. Knight enters this match in fine form, having top-scored with 79 against Bangladesh, and her extensive experience and success in Asian conditions present a formidable challenge.
Pitch and Conditions: Spin, Swing… and Rain?
Recent days in Colombo have seen drier weather, but showers are once again forecasted, typical for this time of year. Expect a pitch that will offer significant turn, while the prevailing humidity could also create favorable conditions for swing bowlers.
Team News: Hasini to Open
Sri Lanka has experimented with Hasini Perera as an opener instead of Vishmi Gunaratne and is likely to stick with this batting order for the upcoming match. England is expected to maintain their winning XI for the third consecutive game.
Sri Lanka (Possible XI):
1 Hasini Perera, 2 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3 Harshith Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dihari, 6 Nilakshika de Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Sugandika Kumari, 9 Achini Kulasuriya, 10 Udeshika Prabodhani, 11 Inoka Ranaweera
England (Possible XI):
1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Emma Lamb, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Bell
Stats and Trivia
- Despite a crucial 62 in Sri Lanka`s 2013 victory against England, Chamari Athapaththu`s overall record against them is modest, with no other half-centuries in 13 innings.
- One of Heather Knight`s two half-centuries in Sri Lanka was scored at Khettarama. Her strike rate in the country (80.62) is notably higher than her career strike rate (72.45).
- While Sri Lanka has never won an ODI series against England, they did achieve a 2-1 T20I series victory in England in 2023.
Quotes
`I think you can never write off Chamari at all. We`ve been on the tough end of it a couple of times over the last few years, particularly when Chamari came to England. She played a couple of amazing innings. But I think over the last few years there`s probably a few more [players] that we`ve started to talk about. There`s certainly a lot more depth to that team that can bat around someone like Chamari.`
England opener Tammy Beaumont on Sri Lanka`s evolving batting lineup.
