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10th over: England 54-5 (Dunkley 8, Capsey 0) Not great news for Pakistan, as Fatima limps off. She gets over the rope and squats down immediately – perhaps the humidity has got to her. But the wickets continue to tumble – Lamb caught on the crease, boots of clay.
WICKET! Lamb b Sadia 4 (England 54-5)
Another death rattle! Lamb misjudges the arm ball from Sadia, rocks back and finds herself trapped, middle stump kissed away.
9th over: England 54-4 (Dunkley 8, Lamb 4) Fatima continues. A sloppy bit of fielding in the covers allows Dunkley a boundary to bring up the fifty. Another goes for four byes, past the gloves of the keeper – just the sort of runs to ballast a wobbly England.
8th over: England 46-4 (Dunkley 4, Lamb 4) Relief (possibly) for England in the shape of left-arm spinner Sadia. A huge opportunity here for Dunkley and Lamb to get stuck in. A handful of singles as the clouds come in over Colombo.
7th over: England 40-4 (Dunkley 1, Lamb 1) A double wicket over for Fatima and England are looking similar to the sludgy autumn leaves currently proving a slip hazard on my front step. The diminutive Fatima is calling all the shots.
WICKET! Knight lbw Fatima 18 (England 39-4)
Knight reviews, thinks she’s outside the line, looks closer this time…. it is!!! A celebration of lime green shirts as Knight trudges off, done by yet another in-ducker.
WICKET! Sciver-Brunt b Fatima 4 (England 38-3)
Well, now! A third England player is bowled as Fatima delivers another honky-tonk inswinger which NSB decides, ill advisedly, to cut. Middle stump a go-go.
6th over: England 38-2 (Knight 18, Sciver-Brunt 4) Not a great start to Diana’s over – a juicy ball wide of off stump furrowed for four by Knight, followed by a wide full toss. Things settle, a little, after that.
5th over: England 33-2 (Knight 14, Sciver-Brunt 4)A(nother) reprieve for Heather Knight who is given out lbw to Fatima. NSB advises a review, and sure enough the ball would have missed leg stump. A couple more lbw appeals follow in quick succession and Pakistan review the third in great excitement only to discover that the ball hit outside the line. Still, Fatima is conjuring up inswing to die for. Knight breaks the tension with a cut through point for four.
4th over: England 28-2 (Knight 8, Sciver-Brunt 4) Birthday girl Diana, 30, with another over. Sciver-Bruunt leans into an on-drive and sends the ball spinning gloriously for four, she seems to have carried her form through from the last match.
3rd over: England 22-2 (Knight 8, Sciver-Brunt 0) Sciver-Brunt applies some balm after Jones is beaten by a chestnut fizzing out of the embers and into her stumps. Fantastic start by Pakistan. A wicket maiden.
WICKET! Jones b Fatima 8 (England 22-2)
Another gorgeous inswinger! Fatima punches the air and both England openers go cheaply again.
2nd over: England 22-1 (Jones 8, Knight 8) A siren signifies that Diana Baig’s first ball is a no ball – Beaumont says thanks very much and biffs the free hit for four, but isn’t able to make the most of such generosity, losing her bails shortly afterwards. Knight is off the mark straight away with two fours, interspersed with a wide as Diana’s radar goes slightly wonky.
WICKET! Beaumont b Diana 4 (England 13-1)
A bold leave by Beaumont, who flourishes bat aloft but hears the death rattle as the ball nips in beautifully and clocks the top of off stump.
1st over: England 8-0 (Jones 8, Beaumont 0) Captain Fatima Sana with the new ball – her second delivery is turned by Jones off her ankles for four, and her last driven past a couple of stationary fielders for four more. Sana is not impressed. The palm trees peak through the gaps in the stands, not too many watching yet
Two snappy stats as the players walk on. NSB has three hundreds in her last five innings against Pakistan. And England have never lost to Pakistan in an ODI.
Time for the anthems. Pakistan’s is quite a sombre affair – there’s a rabbit hole on Wikipedia about it which I’ve just hauled myself out of. A rapid, drum-heavy, rendition of God Save the King follows. England drape arms round shoulders, Pakistan hand on hearts.
Pakistan had Australia on the rack in Colombo last Wednesday, reducing them to 76 for seven. Only a brilliant century from Beth Mooney and fifty from Alana King at No. 10 rescued the innings. Unfortunately Pakistan were then bowled out for 114, but England will not underestimate their attack.
A shame for England that they will be without joint-second tournament wicket-taker Ecclestone, but a good chance to for Sarah Glenn to show what she can offer. And for Em Arlott, who had such a good summer against West Indies, stepping into Lauren Bell’s boots.
Two changes for Pakisan
Allrounder Aliya Riaz and batter Omaima Sohail return.
Pakistan: Omaima Sohail, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Fatima Sana (capt), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.
Two changes for England - Ecclestone and Lauren Bell ill
Sarah Glenn and Em Arlott come in.
England XI: Beaumont, Jones (wk), Knight, Sciver-Brunt (capt), Dunkley, Lamb,Capsey, Dean, Glenn, Arlott, Smith
Pakistan win the toss and will bowl!
“Because the pitch looks good,” says Fatima Sana, “and will be an advantage for our spinners.” Nat Sciver Brunt would have bowled too.
Preamble
Hello from Colombo, via a dank, grey Manchester morning. Game four for England of what has been a rather excellent campaign – three games, three wins and nestled just below Australia in second place, but with a superior run rate. A win today will take them top, springboarding artistically into the serious end of the round-robin when they play India and Australia, and New Zealand.
Their opponents, bottom of the table Pakistan, have had a less productive time, with three losses and zero points. Just about the only thing in their favour is that Colombo is a home from home - they’ve played all their games there. Not that it has been a huge help to their batting, with totals of 129, 159, and 114 splashed across the scorebook.
Play starts at 10.30am, do join us to chew the cud.
