The Pakistani team was inches away from their first limited-overs win versus the English side in Colombo this Wednesday, arriving at 34 without loss going after a DLS-adjusted target totaling 113 runs ahead of pouring rain curtailed their aspirations to achieve a milestone.
England's offensive play has stumbled from crisis to crisis throughout this World Cup – they had to be bailed out thanks to Heather Knight versus Bangladesh and Nat Sciver-Brunt's performance when playing Sri Lanka – and here it appeared that their weaknesses would return to haunt them, when they crumbled to 79 for seven within the initial 25 overs.
Postponed first by rain of almost four hours, The English side resumed to add 54 further runs – but Pakistan’s openers Ali and Sohail appeared to be cruising the target, assisted by the absence of the English team's primary attackers the pair of Bell and Ecclestone due to sickness. Solely more showers rescued England.
"Pakistan delivered exceptional bowling and created significant difficulties for us to gain any momentum in the game,” the England captain the captain commented during the broadcast. "Our performance was insufficient and we accept responsibility. All players are training excellently and I guess it’s about discovering a method to transfer that to matches.”
The abandoned match indicates that England stay on track to advance to the semifinals provided they secure victory any of their last three group-stage encounters facing India, Australia and New Zealand.
This competition has up to now been a spinner’s paradise, but here it was significant swing that created issues for England's top batsmen, following heavy rain the previous day which washed out the remaining portion of the Sri Lanka game against New Zealand. Pakistan’s young captain Fatima Sana delivered an impressive period recording 5 overs, 1 maiden, 19 runs, 3 wickets, comprising a wicket-taking maiden at the start, dismissing Amy Jones through the defense using an inswinging delivery.
The English batter again rescued herself with a timely DRS review facing Sana which was missing leg stump, but then the Pakistani skipper to take two wickets during the subsequent over using two additional curving deliveries – including one that Nat Sciver-Brunt chopped on to her stumps, and a subsequent delivery that trapped Knight directly in front.
Before this, Beaumont had shouldered arms facing Diana Baig and was dismissed by a delivery that came back which hit the top of her off-stump, and it was the spin from the left side from Sadia Iqbal which did for both Dunkley and Lamb.
Concerns could surface about the decision to host part of the World Cup at Colombo during monsoon season, given that this is the third abandonment at the venue – yet the English team will just breathe a sigh of relief as they move on to the Indore venue.
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