Did Captain Sciver-Brunt's 117 Propel England to 253 Against Sri Lanka?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- England scored 253/9 in their match against Sri Lanka.
- Nat Sciver-Brunt scored a crucial century (117 runs).
- Inoka Ranaweera claimed 3 wickets, showcasing her bowling prowess.
- Sciver-Brunt set a record with the most centuries in ODI World Cups.
- England's middle order struggled, but Sciver-Brunt's leadership shone through.
Colombo, Oct 11 (NationPress) England faced significant challenges in their batting lineup, but skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt rose to the occasion with a magnificent century under pressure, leading the team to a total of 253/9 in 50 overs against Sri Lanka during the 12th match of the Women’s World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium.
After being invited to bat first, England's openers, Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont, were dismissed within the first 10 overs, leaving the team at just 50 runs after the powerplay. The experienced duo of Heather Knight and Sciver-Brunt then formed a solid 60-run partnership to stabilize the innings.
Despite this, the Sri Lankan bowlers remained relentless, claiming wickets at regular intervals while Sciver-Brunt held the innings together from one end. The middle order, which had struggled against the Bangladeshi bowlers in their last match, faltered once again, as Inoka Ranaweera wreaked havoc on the lineup.
Ranaweera secured three vital wickets during her 10-over spell, dismissing Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, and Alice Capsey, achieving impressive figures of 3/33 at an exceptional economy rate of 3.30.
Alongside Ranaweera, Sugandika Kumari, Kavisha Dilhari, and Udeshika Prabodhani collaborated effectively to take more wickets. Earlier, Sri Lanka's captain Chamari Athapaththu had predicted that restricting England to a total of 200-240 would be their pathway to success.
However, Sciver-Brunt endeavored to keep the momentum going, and her remarkable century propelled the team's total to 253. She was dismissed on the second-to-last ball of the innings while attempting a six off Prabodhani's yorker, but with this inning, she made history, becoming the player with the highest number of centuries in ODI World Cups, totaling five.
Previously, the record was held by former England players Janette Brittin and Charlotte Edwards, along with New Zealand's Suzie Bates, each with four centuries in the 50-over World Cup. Thanks to Sciver-Brunt's 10th ODI century, England concluded their innings on a positive note.
Brief Scores: England 253/9 in 50 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 117, Tammy Beaumont 32; Inoka Ranaweera 3-33, Udeshika Prabodhani 2-55) vs Sri Lanka.
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