England barely avoided defeat Pakistan at the ICC Women’s World Championship in Colombo, thanks to timely rain breaks. Pakistan’s bowlers left England reeling at 79/7 after 25 overs, putting heavy pressure on the defending champions. After a long delay, play resumed with a 31-over match, allowing England to post 133/9, helped by a crucial 47-run partnership between Charlie Dean And At Arlott. Pakistan started the chase confidently and reached 34-0 before rain intervened again to deny them a historic first ODI win over England.
Women’s World Cup 2025: England batting collapse and recovery
Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Diana Baig And Fatima Sanabrilliantly exploited England’s vulnerable top order, claiming five wickets in the powerplay and leaving the visitors exposed. Tammy Beaumont was the first to fall, bowled by a sharp turning delivery from Baig, while Pakistan skipper Sana took three important wickets including Amy Jones for eight and the experienced duo Nat Sciver-Brunt And Heath Knight for four and 18 respectively.
England’s middle and lower orders continued to struggle Sophia Dunkley And Alice Kapsey were stuck lbw, and Emma Lamb was bowled for four by Sadia Iqbal. Capsey and Dean withstood the Pakistani spinners for 70 balls and managed just 21 runs before the pressure forced Capsey out. When play resumed after rain, Dean and Em Arlott added crucial points, helping England to a defendable total of 133/9. This partnership proved crucial as Pakistan’s bowlers had consistently challenged England’s vulnerable batting line-up. England’s experience and composure under pressure allowed them to recover, but the collapse exposed vulnerabilities, especially without key players.
SEE ALSO: Fatima Sana delivers a gem to remove Nat Sciver-Brunt during the Pakistan vs England match at the 2025 Women’s World Cup
Women’s World Cup 2025: Pakistan’s promising pursuit and missed opportunity
Pakistan started their response confidently, with openers Omama Sahal And Muneeba Ali they laid a solid foundation and reached 34 without loss before rain curtailed their innings. The side looked set to record a historic first ODI win against England, having previously reduced defending champions Australia to 76/7 in a previous game. England’s bowling was erratic early in the chase, creating gaps and failing to take advantage of moments of pressure.
Rain ultimately prevented Pakistan from continuing their momentum, and the match ended as a nil result for their historic bid. England will now focus on the challenges ahead India and Australia in Indore, followed by the final group stage match against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam. Pakistan’s performance showcased their improved skills, confidence and ability to challenge elite sides, signaling a team on the rise. The encounter serves as encouragement for Pakistan to build on their strengths in spinners and disciplined batting. The drama in Colombo reinforces the unpredictability of the Women’s World Cup and the emergence of new competitive forces in women’s cricket.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Pakistan hit hard by rain. England dodge a bullet, remain unbeaten and top the table.
A match that was about to go down as a World Cup classic.
The weather in Colombo has the last laugh.#CWC25 | #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/7kihUjH5Xl
— Annesha Ghosh (@ghosh_annesha) October 15, 2025
The game has been officially discontinued. 1 point each. Heartbreaking for Pakistan, who were well placed. But once the dust settles, they will reflect on how well they performed today and carry that confidence into their final three games. England are at the top of the table… #PAKvENG
— Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) October 15, 2025
#CWC25 the match officials should be sacked immediately for wasting a match when it was stopped for almost 3 hours, they should just start the second innings but no they are giving so much favor to England and now the match is a waste, well done officials
— 𝙋 𝘼 𝙍 𝙏 𝙃🦸🏻♂️ (@ssupParth) October 15, 2025
If the game had been reduced to 20 overs… it would still have been a failure with about 15 overs bowled… resulting in more tears and complaints… #CWC25 #EngWvPakW
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) October 15, 2025
A victory robbed of Pakistan #ENGvPAK #CWC2025
— Smriti Tamil Nadu FC (@smrititnfc) October 15, 2025
Rain could potentially save England from early elimination
If they had lost (100%) today, their next 2 games would be v Ind and Aus
There’s a good chance they both lose and end up in a QF against NZ#ENGvPAK
— Arjun (@6worldcups) October 15, 2025
Happy, happy England! Good luck Pakistan. I hope they get something out of this group stage as they played brilliantly today.
Look how England goes from here. Their inability to play straight in the first 10 was a major problem. #ENGvPAK
— GBKB (@graemebcricket) October 15, 2025
Hopefully this will act as a wake-up call for the rest of the tournament #ENGvPAK
— Jonathan Wood 🇺🇦 (@JonathanWood3) October 15, 2025
Cricket deserved a win in Pakistan today. Not the other way around. Green Queens literally brought England to their knees through world-class cricket.
— Ahmad Hussein (@Ahmad_Pak_) October 15, 2025
The rain coming to save England a point apiece, Pakistan to be gutted after winning the match
– @AlanMar75485490 (@AlanMar75485490) October 15, 2025
READ also: ENG vs PAK, Women’s World Cup 2025: This is why Sophie Ecclestone won’t play today’s match
This article was first published on WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
#Fans #react #rain #cancels #EnglandPakistan #Womens #World #Cup #group #match