England look to consolidate semis bid against win-less Pakistan

England will look to extend their unbeaten run and tighten their grip on a semifinal spot when they face Pakistan in their fourth match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. The four-time champions have been clinical so far, while Pakistan remain winless after three games, struggling to find cohesion with the bat despite flashes of promise with the ball.

England have ticked most boxes in their campaign, displaying a blend of power and composure. Their latest win – by 89 runs against Sri Lanka in Colombo – was headlined by Nat Sciver-Brunt’s classy 117, and Sophie Ecclestone’s four-wicket haul. With two dominant victories, sandwiching a hard-fought win against Bangladesh, England have kept their record spotless and will try to keep the streak going in their second outing at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Pakistan, meanwhile, are yet to find momentum. Their bowlers, led by Fatima Sana and Nashra Sandhu, have shown heart – especially in the clash against Australia where they reduced the defending champions to 76/7 and later 115/8. But the inability to close games out and the persistent batting collapses have been their undoing. Beth Mooney’s century turned that match on its head, and Pakistan’s reply – 114 all out – mirrored earlier totals of 129 and 159 against Bangladesh and India respectively.

England will start overwhelming favourites, but Pakistan’s bowling has shown enough spark to test them if the batters can offer some support. For Sciver-Brunt’s side, it’s a chance to fine-tune ahead of tougher battles; for Sana’s, it’s about trying to salvage their campaign and proving they can compete.