England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt delivered a masterclass at the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, smashing a breathtaking 117 against Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka in Colombo on 11th October, steering her team to an emphatic 89-run victory and extending their unbeaten run to three matches in a high-stakes campaign split across India and Sri Lanka.
In a game brimming with milestones, it wasn’t just the runs and wickets that defined the contest; the spirit of leadership and family support played an equally uplifting role as Sciver-Brunt’s wife, Katherine, and their son Theo, watched her craft yet another defining knock. She also became the 2nd English player, after former skipper Charlotte Edwards, to surpass 8,000 runs across formats at the international level.
England’s top-order once again proved pivotal, with Nat Sciver-Brunt orchestrating a disciplined yet fluent innings, striking nine boundaries and two sixes en route to her record-breaking fifth century in World Cup history and her tenth overall in ODIs, a testament to her unwavering consistency.
England posted a total of 253/9 in their 50 overs, setting Sri Lanka a steep challenge in conditions demanding adaptability and focus. Sciver-Brunt, leading the batting charts for her side in the ongoing tournament, has compiled 149 runs at a robust strike rate of 94.30 and an average of 74.50 across just two innings.
Bowling brilliance complemented batting finesse, as Sophie Ecclestone spun a web around the Sri Lankan batters, claiming 4 wickets for just 17 runs in her quota of 10 overs. With these figures, Ecclestone ascended as England’s leading wicket-taker and the tournament’s second highest, boasting 9 wickets at an average of 6.66 and an economy of 2.30 in three matches so far.
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s post-match press conference radiated both tactical insight and an appreciation for the value of teamwork. Reflecting on Ecclestone’s impact, she remarked, “Yeah, I mean, like I said, she’s ranked number 1 for a good reason, and she showed it today. She’s obviously very experienced in our side as well and a great leader of our spin attack. The beauty of it, we’ve got some really different-looking spinners who can bowl in all conditions, so the communication that they have as a group is about working out the pace that they need to bowl at, to get the best out of the wicket and repeat that as long as possible. She makes it look very simple, Sophie (Ecclestone)”.
Sciver-Brunt explained how she balances her roles as captain and premier batter: “I probably don’t think about [captaincy] so much when I’m batting. I may pick up things here and there about the wicket and what would be best for our bowlers, but while I’m a batter, I’m a batter and have really worked on trying to focus on that and one thing at a time. Especially with the bowling, that’s a little bit different and yeah, that’s where I can lean a little bit on Charlie [Dean] as vice-captain, when I’m bowling to make sure, I’m clear. Obviously, there’s a lot to think about with captaincy, but yeah, something I’m enjoying so far”.
Asked about her century celebration, Sciver-Brunt’s response was candid and touching: “Well, I wasn’t like my bat, yeah, I sort of spoke about it a little bit with Katherine, but you never know if you’re going to get another 100. That was in the back of my mind a little bit. But obviously, they’ve come out to Sri Lanka to watch me as well, so I thought of giving it back to them for supporting me”.
For Sciver-Brunt, her selfless mentality in big games remains central: “I guess wanting to do the best for my team brings out the best in big games. We’ve got a couple of experienced batters who like to bat in the middle-order with me and Heather Knight. So, making sure that we’re both doing the majority of that is really important. Our batting in these conditions is about adapting as quickly as possible, and the wicket didn’t play the same the whole way through the innings. I guess we adapted well today, and hopefully we can continue to do that on the surface here again for our next match”.
England’s comprehensive victory keeps them firmly placed for a spot in the semi-final, their stars shining brilliantly with each passing game. As the tournament moves to its crucial mid-stages, England next face Pakistan in Colombo on Wednesday, 15th October, aiming to further solidify their top four credentials with match-winning contributions from their key players. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s leadership, batting prowess, and her grounded, family-driven celebrations offer a compelling narrative at the heart of England’s campaign.
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