Sri Lanka Ready to Move On from Past as England Clash Looms After Long Layoff

After an extended 12-day break since their last appearance in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, co-hosts Sri Lanka are eager to get back into action when they face England in Colombo on Saturday. The long hiatus, made longer by a washout against Australia, has given the Sri Lankans both time to regroup and reflect — and they now hope to translate that into performance.

Saturday’s clash pits them against a side they have historically struggled against in WODIs, with just one win in 18 encounters. But head coach Rumesh Ratnayake is not letting that statistic cloud his team's mindset.

“Past results count for little,” Ratnayake said at the pre-match press conference. “We talk about the present — where this team is now, our strengths, and how we plan to play each phase of the game. Our preparation is all about focus, patience, and discipline — especially in the batting.”

Sri Lanka’s last outing, a loss to India, offered several positives but ended in frustration. Having reduced the hosts to 124 for 6, they allowed India to recover and post a challenging total. In reply, Sri Lanka’s top order faltered and failed to produce a single half-century, with the chase falling short.

Captain Chamari Athapaththu had been blunt in her post-match assessment, urging her batters to step up and take responsibility. Ratnayake echoed those sentiments, underlining that his players are aware of their role on a "big stage."

“They know someone has to bat through the innings,” he said. “The lower order can’t carry the scoring burden. At least one or two of the top seven must stay till the end. That's something we’ve worked on.”

The slow, turning pitches in Colombo have offered an interesting dynamic throughout the tournament, with scoring often easier in the latter stages of an innings. However, that requires a set batter to be present at the death — something Sri Lanka lacked against India.

“We’ve seen batters like [Beth] Mooney succeed in these conditions because of their discipline and focus. Our players are taking note of that. It’s not just about surviving, it’s about adapting to the match situation and executing,” Ratnayake explained.

With England unbeaten so far and well-versed in handling spin-friendly conditions, Sri Lanka know they will be tested. But the long gap between games has allowed their support staff to conduct in-depth analysis of the opposition.

“We’ve scrutinised every batter — not just their top seven, but up to number nine,” Ratnayake revealed. “We understand where their strengths lie. England may not have any left-handers, but they are a very complete and experienced unit. That said, we believe we have the tools to counter them.”

While acknowledging England’s pedigree, Ratnayake stressed that the time for observation is over.

“We’ve done the analysis, we’ve had the discussions. Now it’s about execution. The players must take ownership, step up, and perform,” he said.

Saturday’s match will be crucial for Sri Lanka’s hopes of progressing in the tournament. With their captain Chamari Athapaththu once again expected to lead from the front, the hosts will hope that a refreshed and refocused unit can put past struggles behind them — and make a strong statement against one of the tournament favourites.