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37th over: England 174-6 (Sciver-Brunt 67, Dean 2) Tammy Beaumont spoke to the press on Friday, said that this WC showed that someone in each team would have to go big and that it might not be pretty. NSB’s turn today. Two from Kaveesha’s over as Sri Lanka keep it tight.
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37th over: England 171-6 (Sciver-Brunt 66, Dean 1) The statisticians tells us that Capsey has been dismissed five times in ODIs by left arm spin with an average of five. Something for England’s opponents – Pakistan, India, Australia, New Zealand – to mull over. They run hard and pick up two from Ramanweera’s guile.
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36th over: England 169-6 (Sciver-Brunt 64, Dean 0) Dean’s 27 was crucial in the match against Bangladesh, can she do it again here? A glorious yellow setting sun watches as Kaveesha’s over draws just a single.
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Updated at 08.13 EDT
35th over: England 168-6 (Sciver-Brunt 63, Dean 0) A double wicket maiden as Ranaweera finds her length and does it again! Game changing over.
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WICKET! Capsey st Sanjeewani b Ranaweera 0 (England 168-6)
Capsey gets three spinning, spitting deliveries from Ranaweeera, is drawn forward by her fourth and stumped by a toecap.
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WICKET! Lamb b Ranaweera 13 (England 168-5)
A paddle sweep too many, as a full ball creeps under the bat off her leg and into the stumps. Lamb cradles her gloves and strides away.
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Updated at 08.07 EDT
34th over: England 160-4 (Sciver-Brunt 63, Lamb 13) Vihanga’s first ball is whooped through midwicket for four, and they are content to milk singles from the rest of the over.
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33rd over: England 160-4 (Sciver-Brunt 57, Lamb 11) Whatever was in those drinks has worked wonders, as Lamb replenishes the boundary basket, with two immediately after the break – one a reverse-sweep courtesy of some wayward bounce, the other a paddle sweep. And the sun starts to set over the Colombo skyline.
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32nd over: England 154-4 (Sciver-Brunt 56, Lamb 2) Emma Lamb was voted PCA Woman’s player of the year just this week. A chance here, for runs. England in a great position, but Sri Lanka are knitting a web. They pause for drinks.
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31st over: England 147-4 (Sciver-Brunt 54, Lamb 1) A handy breakthrough for Sri Lanka, just as Dunkley was starting to look settled. England – stretch and ponder – they’ve hit just one boundary in the last 12 overs.
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WICKET! Dunkley c and b Kaveesha 18 (England 146-4)
Dunkley drives and Kaveesha clasps the prize low down by her ankles, one leg bent like a tripod. She hurls the ball in the air and beams.
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30th over: England 144-3 (Sciver-Brunt 53, Dunkley 18) A handful of singles.
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29th over: England 141-3 (Sciver-Brunt 51, Dunkley 16) Kaveesha rattles through another over, England’s projected score at the current rate is 243 – Athapaththu said before the game that she’d like to keep England to between 200-240. But you feel NSB will blast through that if she stays in.
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Fifty for Nat Sciver-Brunt
28th over: England 137-3 (Sciver-Brunt 50, Dunkley 13) England survive a yes-no single, and NSB picks up fifty next ball with another jogged run. That’s her fifty from 57 balls, she gets a hand shake from Dunkley and briefly raises her bat to the dressing room. Sri Lanka try not to remember that they dropped her on three.
Sciver-Brunt celebrates after reaching her half century. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana/ReutersShare
Updated at 07.44 EDT
27th over: England 132-3 (Sciver-Brunt 46, Dunkley 9) Kaveesha again, whirls away. England are content to push her around for singles. The easy-breezy middle overs.
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Updated at 07.37 EDT
26th over: England 127-3 (Sciver-Brunt 42, Dunkley 12) Vihanga starts with three dots and finishes with two singles. Dunkley is giving herself time to adjust to the conditions, as NSB did before her. She made a duck in her one innings to date.
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Updated at 07.37 EDT
25th over: England 125-3 (Sciver-Brunt 42, Dunkley 9) Spinner Kaveesha Dilhari replaces Vihanga. Right arm, light and bouncy, long fingers, hair chopped. NSB sweeps her third ball, swerving down leg, for four. Halfway.
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24th over: England 118-3 (Sciver-Brunt 37, Dunkley 7) Ranaweera starts with three dots to Dunkley, and just one from the over. She reties her ponytail as she goes over to whisper in the keeper’s ear.
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23rd over: England 117-3 (Sciver-Brunt 37, Dunkley 6) Why, asks Mel Jones, don’t teams playing England set a field for the lap shot which they all use early in the innings? Dunkley duly picks up a few in that area.
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22nd over: England 110-3 (Sciver-Brunt 35, Dunkley 1) Ooof, NSB nearly done by some grip and drift from Ranaweera, she misses, but is saved by a well-stretched back leg. And Sri Lanka get their crucial breakthrough too this ominous-looking partership a couple of balls later.
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Updated at 07.22 EDT
WICKET! Knight c Vihanga c Ranaweera 29 (England 109-3)
Knight goes for a reverse-sweep and seems to be caught at slip by Athapaththu. But the umpire says no….Sri Lanka review at the last gasp…. the pictures are tricky to dissect but there seems to be a slither of a spike off the glove, and yes, Knight is marching off. This time, the cameras send her on her way.
Sri Lanka celebrate after Inoka Ranaweera took the wicket of Heather Knight. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana/ReutersShare
Updated at 07.25 EDT
21st over: England 108-2 (Knight 29, Sciver-Brunt 34) Vihanga again, NSB misses a sweep but gloves it for a couple, and a nice looking sweep from Knight is well picked up a square leg. Knight, who looks really hot, and NSW call for a towel and water, though Knight turns down the offer of another banana. It’s hot and muggy work out there, and clouds lurk.
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20th over: England 103-2 (Knight 27, Sciver-Brunt 31) NSB brings up the fifty partnership, off 59 balls, with a shimmied six over long on. She and Knight are looking ominously settled now, slippers on, tea in hand.
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19th over: England 94-2 (Knight 26, Sciver-Brunt 23) Time for a twirl from 20 year-old Vihanga. She’s tall, keeps the ball close to her chest until a last minute unwind. England rotate the strike easily and NSB eyes up a short one and whips it away for four.
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Updated at 07.04 EDT
18th over: England 84-2 (Knight 24, Sciver-Brunt 17) Ranaweera whizzes through another over.
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Updated at 06.59 EDT
17th over: England 81-2 (Knight 24, Sciver-Brunt 13) It feels as NSB is starting to settle. A sweep for two off Athapaththu is followed by a back-foot dart for four.
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Updated at 06.59 EDT
16th over: England 75-2 (Knight 24, Sciver-Brunt 6) NSB attempts to sweep Ranaweera, whose collar is buttoned up to the chin. She misses, and it is called wide. Ranaweera is hurt fielding off her own bowling and as she gets some treatment, they take DRINKS. On come some slices of melon (I think) and some drinks. Oh no, maybe it is bananas. Ranaweera is fine and completes the rest of her over for the cost of just one more run.
It’s another warm one in Colombo. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana/ReutersShare
Updated at 06.54 EDT
15th over: England 72-2 (Knight 23, Sciver-Brunt 5) Knight lofts Athapaththu over midwicket for four, not a perfect shot but has the desired result.
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14th over: England 67-2 (Knight 18, Sciver-Brunt 5) A chance mislaid for Sri Lanka as NSB (3) is dropped at midwicket by Udeshika Prabondai, who gets two rigid hands to the ball and parries it to the ground Four from the disappointed Ranaweera’s over.
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13th over: England 63-2 (Knight 16, Sciver-Brunt 3) Athapathtu again, red hankerchief hanging out of her back pocket. NSB is watchful, Knight too until Athapathtu releases a fat full toss which she slams to the rope. Athapathtu rubs her hand on said hanky in frustration, perhaps it slipped out of the hand.
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12th over: England 57-2 (Knight 11, Sciver-Brunt 2 ) Ranaweera gets her first over, a slip lurking. An excellent bit of fielding by the sweeper denies Knight a boundary.
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11th over: England 52-2 (Knight 6, Sciver-Brunt 2 ) The brains trust are now out in the middle for England. Another cheap over pases for Athapathtu.
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10th over: England 50-2 (Knight 5, Sciver-Brunt 1 ) Step, step, ping: Beaumont lofts Dasanayak straight for four, but perishes two balls later, leaving Sri Lanka pretty happy at the end of the power play.
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WICKET! Beaumont c Harshitha b Dasanayaka 32 (England 49-2)
Beaumont sashays down the pitch for the second time in the over but skews off the outside edge and is caught at cover.
Safe hands to claim England’s second wicket. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena/APShare
Updated at 06.53 EDT
9th over: England 45-1 (Beaumont 28, Knight 5 ) Athapathtu brings herself on, hitches up her short sleeves and directs the field in her sunglasses. She’s fabulously charismatic. Knight hits the ball back at her and she throws the ball back at the stumps in great excitement but only succeeds in hitting Knight on the leg – she runs down the pitch to apologise.
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Updated at 06.26 EDT
8th over: England 44-1 (Beaumont 27, Knight 5 ) A gorgeous clonking sound off the bat as Knight drives Dasanayaka for two. This is Sri Lanka’s first game for 11 days which, if you’re being generous, might explain some of the rustiness in the field.
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7th over: England 40-1 (Beaumont 26, Knight 2) Prabodani whistles through her fourth over, just a couple of runs from it.
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6th over: England 38-1 (Beaumont 25, Knight 1) Beaumont drills Dasanayaka for four from her first ball, but is hit low on pads, and deep in her crease, by an arm ball from the penultimate ball of the over. Sri Lanka decide to review, despite the ball looking as if it is going to drift past leg stump – and they duly lose one of their two reviews.
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5th over: England 33-1 (Beaumont 20, Knight 1) Beaumont rebuilds with a boundary down to fine leg.
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4th over: England 25-1 (Beaumont 13, Knight 0) A round of applause from NSB as Beaumont paddle sweeps for four, the dust exploding from her moving boots. Then an authoritative cut for four more. Then the miscalculated run, perhaps borne of sudden confidence.
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Updated at 06.07 EDT
WICKET! Jones run out (Kaveesha) 11 (England 24-1)
Oh dear. Beaumont calls for a run to cover that always looked unlikely. Jones hesitated, and that split second’s thought was her downfall, a good enough throw to Sanjeewani does the job.
Amy Jones trudges off. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena/APShare
Updated at 06.14 EDT
3rd over: England 16-0 (Jones 11, Beaumont 5) A miserly over from Pradodani, neat and tidy medium pace.
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2nd over: England 14-0 (Jones 9, Beaumont 5) Spin at the other end from Dasanayaka, and ooof, Beaumont is hit on the front pad. She’s stretched her leg hugely, pretty far forward, but it looks out and umpire raises her finger. She reviews, correctly as it turns out as the ball is missing leg, and she then clops the next ball serenely through the covers for four.
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1st over: England 9-0 (Jones 8, Beaumont 1) A half-hearted dive from Vihanga, like a sleepy stretch from a deck-chair to catch some wayward suncream, lets Jones pick four from and edge to Prabodani’s first ball. Another bit of careless fielding brings a single, not the on point start Sri Lanka would have wanted.
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Sri Lanka sprint onto the field led by Athapaththu; Beaumont and Jones stride behind. The ground does not look hugely full to be honest, but I know in India more spectators have come in for the second innings.
Game time in Colombo. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana/ReutersShare
Updated at 05.53 EDT
Here come the teams, hand in hand with their mascots. Sri Lanka’s anthem first, a long, lyrical number, before an upbeat verse of God Save the King, with a handful of the English women struggling to contain a fit of giggles.
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Sky show a really lovely little interview with Heather Knight and some of her teammates about how she feels she can connect with her teammates in a different way now she no longer has the pressures of captaincy.
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One change for Sri Lanka:
Allrounder Dewmi Vihanga replaces Achini Kulasuriya.
Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sugandika Dasanayaka, Dewmi Vihanga, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodhani
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England XI are unchanged
England: Tammy Beamont, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.
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Sri Lanka win the toss and will bowl
… “Because I’m very confident with my bowling unit.” NSB looks happy, says she would have batted, that the surface looks pretty good.
Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and Nat Sciver-Brunt during the coin toss. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana/ReutersShare
Updated at 05.49 EDT
Arnold says he would bowl first, on what looks like a dry pitch. NSB and Athapaththu are walking to the middle with what looks very much like team sheets, so the toss must be imminent.
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Updated at 05.12 EDT
A 15 minute delay due to rain
Though it all seeems gorgeously sunny now in Colombo. Russel Arnold is looking dapper in regulation CWC maroon trousers and very open necked shirt and is joined by Tash Farrant, who says she was asked by Charlotte Edwards to go into the nets as a left-hander, like Chamari Athapaththu.
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Sri Lanka have won only once in an ODI against England, but they do have trump cards. Chamari Athapaththu is a veteran of franchise cricket and a real threat, while left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera had India worried with three wickets in an over in the opening game.
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Preamble
Good morning! Today, we are in Colombo, where England start their two match adventure in Sri Lanka by playing the joint hosts.
It’s been a pretty shiny start for England. Two wins from two games left them top of the table after the first couple of rounds – even if the victory against Bangladesh wasn’t the most convincing performance – dragged over the line by Heather Knight and some catches that might have been.
Sri Lanka are yet to get going, losing to India in the opening game of the tournament while their game against Australia was washed out. But the ball spins a lot at Colombo, and England can come unstuck.
Play is due to start at 10.30am BST, though the grungy skies may push things back. Do join us.
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