In one of the most dramatic encounters in England Women vs Pakistan women match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, England escaped with a point as rain abandoned their match against Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on October 15, 2025. Pakistan captain Fatima Sana’s devastating spell of 4 for 27 had reduced England to 79 for 7 before rain intervened, and despite a revised target of just 113 runs in 31 overs, persistent rain denied Pakistan what would have been a historic first ODI victory over England.
The match result means both teams share one point each, with England maintaining their unbeaten status despite a batting collapse that exposed vulnerabilities in their lineup. For Pakistan, it represents a cruel twist of fate as they were on the cusp of breaking their winless streak against the four-time champions.
Match Summary
- Result: Match Abandoned (No Result) – Both teams share 1 point each
- Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- Date: October 15, 2025 (Day/Night Match)
- Toss: Pakistan won and elected to field first
- England’s Score: 133/9 in 31 overs (Revised innings)
- Pakistan’s Target: 113 runs in 31 overs (DLS Method)
- Pakistan’s Score: 34/0 before final rain abandonment
- Player of the Match: Not awarded (Match abandoned)
Rain plays spoilsport as #ENGvPAK is called off in Colombo.#CWC25 | 📝: https://t.co/eLLN3RdiCo pic.twitter.com/3J5NBtPK6l
— ICC (@ICC) October 15, 2025
England’s Innings: A Tale of Two Halves
The Collapse: 79 for 7 in 25 Overs
England’s innings began disastrously under overcast Colombo skies, with Pakistan’s bowling attack, led brilliantly by captain Fatima Sana, exploiting perfect seam bowling conditions.
Early Dismissals: Tammy Beaumont was bowled by Diana Baig with a dazzling nip-backer that clipped the off bail, departing for just 4 runs in the second over. Fatima Sana then bowled Amy Jones with a delivery that sneaked through the gap between bat and pad, leaving England reeling at 21 for 2.
The Captain’s Carnage: Fatima Sana struck twice in the same over to remove England captain Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight. Sciver-Brunt was done by a delivery that nipped back off the seam as she shaped to cut, only for the ball to slide under her glove and into the stumps. Knight departed for 18, leaving England in tatters at 39 for 4 after just 6.4 overs.
Spin Doubles the Trouble: Sadia Iqbal bowled Emma Lamb with a peach that turned away just enough to rattle the timber, and in the following over, got the wicket of Sophie Dunkley after a successful review, with Ball Tracker showing all three reds. England slumped to 57 for 6 in the 12th over.
Rameen Shamim trapped Alice Capsey LBW as the batter missed her sweep, and England found themselves in an unprecedented crisis at 79 for 7 after 25 overs when heavy rain halted play.
The Rain Delay and Revised Match
After a stoppage of around three hours and 45 minutes, play resumed with England needing to bat out another six overs, with the match now reduced to 31 overs per side under the DLS method.
The Recovery: Dean and Arlott’s Heroics
It fell to the eighth-wicket pair of Charlie Dean and Em Arlott to manufacture a target with a 47-run partnership off 41 balls which took England to 133 for 9.
Charlie Dean’s Top-Scoring Effort: Charlie Dean remained the top-scorer for England with 33 off 51 deliveries, laced with three boundaries. Dean initially made just 5 off 32 balls before the rain delay, but then scripted a remarkable turnaround by scoring 28 off his next 19 deliveries to give England’s total some respectability.
Em Arlott’s Contribution: Arlott, who had impressed England head coach Charlotte Edwards with a century at the start of the domestic season and went on to make her international debut during the English summer, was run out for 18 off 23 balls in the penultimate over.
Final Dismissal: Dean gave Sana her fourth wicket, scooping to Omaima at short fine leg in the final over as England finished on 133 for 9.
England’s Final Score and Revised Target
England managed to post 133 for 9 in their allocated 31 overs. Under the DLS Method, Pakistan set a revised target of 113 runs in 31 overs to register their first win of the tournament — and their first-ever against England in Women’s ODIs.
Fatima Sana’s Masterclass: A Captain’s Performance
Career-Best Figures
Skipper Fatima Sana produced a devastating opening spell to dismantle England’s top order and finish with 4 for 27. This represented Fatima Sana’s best bowling figures for Pakistan against England in a women’s ODI.
Sana’s Wickets:
- Amy Jones – Bowled (8 runs)
- Nat Sciver-Brunt – Bowled (4 runs)
- Heather Knight – LBW (18 runs)
- Charlie Dean – Caught at short fine leg (33 runs)
Bowling Analysis:
- Overs: 6
- Maidens: 1
- Runs: 27
- Wickets: 4
- Economy Rate: 4.50
Exploiting Perfect Conditions
After the Pakistan captain won the toss and elected to field under overcast skies, Fatima made immediate use of the swing and seam movement on offer. Her ability to generate late movement both ways, combined with accurate length bowling, proved too much for England’s top order.
The Pakistan captain’s spell will be remembered as one of the finest bowling performances of the tournament, showcasing her skills as both a leader and a match-winner with the ball.
Pakistan’s Other Bowling Heroes
Sadia Iqbal’s Spin Mastery
Sadia Iqbal bagged two wickets, removing both Emma Lamb and Sophie Dunkley at crucial junctures. Her figures of 2 for 16 demonstrated excellent control and variations that troubled England’s middle order.
Sadia’s Wickets:
- Emma Lamb – Bowled
- Sophie Dunkley – LBW
Diana Baig and Rameen Shamim
Diana Baig and Rameen Shamim made one scalp apiece, with Baig providing the early breakthrough by dismissing Beaumont, while Shamim removed the dangerous Alice Capsey.
Pakistan’s Bowling Summary:
- Fatima Sana: 4-27
- Sadia Iqbal: 2-16
- Diana Baig: 1 wicket
- Rameen Shamim: 1 wicket
Pakistan’s Chase: Promising Start Cut Short
Opening Stand
Pakistan made a promising start by reaching 34-0 before the rain resumed and denied them a historic victory, which would have been their first one-day international win over England.
Openers Muneeba Ali and Omaima Sohail had negotiated England’s bowling without loss, requiring just 79 more runs from 25 overs when persistent rain returned to the R. Premadasa Stadium.
The Final Rain Intervention
With Pakistan well-placed at 34 for 0 and needing 79 runs from 150 balls with all 10 wickets in hand, the rain returned with greater intensity. After waiting for several hours, the match officials finally abandoned the game, denying Pakistan their historic moment and giving England a fortunate escape.
England’s Lucky Escape
Second Batting Scare of Tournament
It was a fortunate escape for England who suffered their second batting scare of the tournament, after they recovered from 78-5 to beat Bangladesh, and a big wake-up call before their toughest challenges against India and Australia which come next.
Missing Key Players
England were without their spin and seam-bowling spearheads as Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Bell were ruled out through illness, replaced by legspinner Sarah Glenn and seamer Em Arlott. However, it was their batting collapse rather than bowling absence that nearly cost them the match.
Opening Partnership Failures Continue
England’s opening partnership problems continued, with both Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones dismissed cheaply once again. This vulnerability at the top of the order represents a significant concern as England face tougher opponents in their remaining matches.
Related: CWC Women 2025: Rain Wrecks Sri Lanka vs New Zealand ODI After Nilakshi’s Blistering 55 – No Result
Tournament Context and Implications
England’s Perspective
Maintaining Unbeaten Status: Despite the batting collapse, England remain unbeaten in the tournament with 7 points from 5 matches (3 wins, 2 no results). However, the manner of their escape will concern the coaching staff.
Areas of Concern:
- Opening partnership failures
- Middle-order fragility against quality seam bowling
- Dependency on lower-order partnerships
- Vulnerability in Asian conditions
Positive Takeaways:
- Resilience shown by Dean and Arlott
- Managed to post a defendable total despite collapse
- Unbeaten record intact ahead of crucial matches
Pakistan’s Perspective
Heartbreaking Near-Miss: For Pakistan, this represents their best performance of the tournament and a cruel twist of fate. They dominated England for the majority of the match and were cruising toward a historic victory before rain intervened.
Positives to Build On:
- Fatima Sana’s career-best bowling performance
- Disciplined bowling attack across all departments
- Confident chase start
- Proof they can compete with top teams
Tournament Standing: Pakistan remain without a win but now have 1 point from 5 matches. While qualification seems unlikely, this performance will boost morale for their remaining fixtures.
Head-to-Head Records
This would have been Pakistan’s first-ever ODI win over England in Women’s cricket had the match been completed. The historical dominance of England over Pakistan makes this near-miss even more significant for the Asian side.
Statistical Highlights
England’s Innings
- Total: 133/9 in 31 overs (Revised)
- Top Scorer: Charlie Dean (33 off 51)
- Key Partnership: Dean-Arlott (47 runs for 8th wicket)
- Lowest Point: 39/4 after 6.4 overs
Pakistan’s Bowling
- Best Figures: Fatima Sana (4-27)
- Most Economical: Sadia Iqbal (2-16)
- Early Wickets: 4 wickets in first 7 overs
- Total Wickets: 9 wickets taken
Pakistan’s Chase
- Score: 34/0 before abandonment
- Target Remaining: 79 runs from 25 overs
- Required Run Rate: 3.16 per over
- Wickets in Hand: All 10 wickets
Expert Analysis
Cricket experts have described this as one of the most dramatic rain-affected matches in recent World Cup history. Fatima Sana’s bowling spell has received universal praise, with many calling it one of the best performances by a Pakistan bowler in women’s ODI cricket.
Former cricketers have suggested that England were “rescued by rain” and that Pakistan deserved better luck after dominating the match. The performance has raised questions about England’s batting approach in Asian conditions and their vulnerability against quality seam bowling.
What This Means Going Forward
For England
England face crucial matches against India and Australia in their remaining fixtures. This batting collapse serves as a wake-up call that they cannot take any opponent lightly and must find solutions to their opening partnership problems.
Upcoming Challenges:
- Need to address top-order failures
- Must adapt better to Asian conditions
- Cannot rely on lower order rescues repeatedly
- Face tougher opponents in India and Australia
For Pakistan
Despite remaining winless, Pakistan have shown they possess the quality to trouble any team in the right conditions. This performance should provide significant confidence for their remaining matches.
Building Momentum:
- Fatima Sana’s form with the ball
- Bowling attack finding rhythm
- Proof they can compete with top teams
- Opportunity to end tournament on positive note
Conclusion
The England vs Pakistan match will be remembered as one of the most dramatic rain-affected encounters in Women’s World Cup history. Pakistan were set a revised target of 113 and made a promising start by reaching 34-0 before the rain resumed and denied them a historic victory.
Fatima Sana’s devastating opening spell with figures of 4 for 27 had dismantled England’s batting order and set up what appeared to be Pakistan’s first-ever ODI victory over England. The rain intervention represents a fortunate escape for England and cruel luck for Pakistan.
For England, this match serves as a reality check. While they maintain their unbeaten record, the manner of their batting collapse and reliance on rain to save them from defeat will concern the coaching staff ahead of tougher challenges.
For Pakistan, this performance proves they have the quality to compete with the world’s best teams. Fatima Sana’s leadership and bowling excellence, combined with the disciplined team performance, suggests Pakistan can still make an impact in their remaining matches despite being out of semifinal contention.
As both teams shared a point each, the tournament continues with England grateful for the rain’s intervention and Pakistan left to rue what might have been their finest hour in women’s ODI cricket.