Nat Sciver-Brunt scored a scintillating ton as England beat Sri Lanka by 89 runs in Colombo to extend their Women’s Cricket World Cup winning streak and go top of the table.

England posted 253-9, their highest score of the tournament so far after being inserted, with their skipper Sciver-Brunt notching her fifth ODI World Cup ton and first as captain despite Sri Lanka taking regular wickets.

Spinner Inoka Ranaweera (3-33) was the pick of Sri Lanka’s bowlers as she removed Emma Lamb (13) and Alice Capsey for a duck in the space of four balls in the 35th over, but was unable to remove England’s captain until the final over.

In reply, England’s Sophie Ecclestone (4-17) ripped through Sri Lanka’s batting order, as the tournament co-hosts were bowled out for 164 in 45.4 overs.

Hasini Perera (35) top-scored for Sri Lanka, who looked in early trouble when their captain Chamari Athapaththu (15) retired early due to cramp, and despite returning to the innings, they were unable to string together partnerships.

The win means England go to the top of the Women’s Cricket World Cup table having won all three games with six points, while Sri Lanka sit in seventh place with just one point.

Sciver-Brunt’s ton leads England to third World Cup win

England’s openers made a shaky start to their innings and were both dismissed inside the powerplay, with Amy Jones (11) being run out by Kavisha Dilhari and Tammy Beaumont (32) caught at point off Sugandika Dasanayaka (2-66).

Heather Knight (29) and Sciver-Brunt shared a 60-run partnership to steady proceedings and take England past 100.

Knight was dismissed on review after gloving to first slip off Ranaweera as Sri Lanka broke the threatening stand before Dilhari took a catch in her follow-through to see the end of Sophia Dunkley (18).

Ranaweera completed a double-wicket maiden in the 35th over, which saw Lamb bowled and Capsey stumped, leaving England 168-6.

Charlie Dean (19) batted carefully alongside her captain but perished after attempting the scoop shot, which saw her caught by Dewmi Vihanga and Ecclestone was stumped in the following over off Sugandika Kumari (2-66).

The England captain, who was dropped on three, decided to shift gears and launched Kumari for a six to bring up her milestone.

She then hit three consecutive boundaries in the final over before holing Udeshika Prabodhani’s (2-55) full toss to long-on.

Sri Lanka collapse against excellent England

The tournament co-hosts looked to be in trouble when their captain Athapaththu was stretchered off in the sixth over, which ended up being cramps.

Dean (2-43) struck with her very first ball, bowling Vishmi Gunaratne’s (10) leg-stump.

Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama (33) shared a 58-run partnership, the highest of Sri Lanka’s innings, to help their side to 95-1.

Ecclestone, the No 1 ODI bowler in the world, lived up to the name as she ripped through the middle order by having Perera caught at mid-on, Samarawickrama taken at short fine, and bowled Dilhari (4) to leave the opposition 103-4.

By that stage, Athapaththu had made a return to the middle after receiving treatment but became Ecclestone’s fourth victim after she was bowled in the 29th over.

Sciver-Brunt’s (2-25) brilliant outing continued as she trapped Anushka Sanjeewani (10) leg-before and removed Dewmi Vihanga (3) soon after.

Capsey (1-15) also joined the list of wicket-takers when she had Nilakshi de Silva (23) caught at mid-wicket and Dean bowled Kumari (4) with the next delivery, as Sri Lanka precariously reached 159-9.

It was fitting that Sciver-Brunt took the final catch to dismiss Prabodhani for a duck as she took her side to the top of the World Cup table.

Sciver-Brunt: We adapted as best we could

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt on her team’s display:

“We started off really well with Amy [Jones] and Tammy [Beaumont] showing some really good intent in the powerplay.

“It looked fairly easy to score at the start but then the spin came on and there was a bit of inconsistency whether in spin or bounce.

“We adapted as best we could but I felt I couldn’t accelerate until towards the end.

“Picking up length is key and knowing what your strengths are – if that is playing off the front foot then recognise that, same with the back foot.

“You don’t want to let spinners settle so using lap sweeps and things like that are great to have in your armoury so you can manoeuvre the field and don’t feel like you are dotting up. You want to put the pressure on.”

Athapaththu rues costly dropped catch

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu:

“We bowled really well but we struggled in the last few overs.

“At the end of the day, I felt the bowlers did a good job but we dropped a catch [when Sciver-Brunt was on three] and she scored a hundred.

“Catches win matches. I felt we improved a little bit in the field from the defeat to India but we need to improve a lot and execute our plans.

“We have to bounce back in the next game.”

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