Women's WC Preview | Unbeaten England look to practically seal semis spot as Pakistan await in Colombo

Mismatches or chasms in form don't get bigger at the World Cup stage than the upcomig clash between England and Pakistan. One team is on a perfect run -- the English started their campaign by bowling out South Africa for 69, then executed a tricky 179-run chase against Bangladesh after losing five early wickets, and most recently hammered Sri Lanka in their own backyard by 89 runs after posting 250-plus in Colombo. The other is seeking some sort of spark to ignite a comeback and finish off seemingly won games -- the Women in Green have been bowled out by Bangladesh, India, and Australia for 129, 159, and 114 respectively, the latest in a chase of 222 despite having the reigning champions on the rope at one stage at 76/7. 

England endured a difficult year in the run-up to the World Cup, beginning with a 3-0 clean sweep in the Ashes and bookended by a 2-1 loss to India at home even though they did manage to defeat the West Indies 3-0 in between. However, the team has taken a liking to subcontinental editions, where they first defeated Australia and India in the warm-ups before registering main event wins against South Africa, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka that has left them with a bludgeoning net run rate of 1.864.

ENG:  W W W L W

PAK:  L L L W L

Pakistan have never beaten England in a Women's One Day International across 15 attempts, enduring 13 losses while two matches produced no result. Three of those defeats have come by over 200 runs, while an additional four have featured margins of 100-run plus. Their last meeting came in a three-match bilateral series in England last year, where England struck 302/5 before bowling out Pakistan for 124. However, the first match of that series was the closest Pakistan have ever come to defeating England as they lost out by just 37 runs while chasing 244.

ENG 13-0 PAK

Spinners have unsurprisingly ruled the roost on a typically slow Colombo surface at the World Cup, accounting for 41 wickets as opposed to just 27 for their faster counterparts in the tournament so far. The average first innings score after four games is 213, albeit the last three games have all seen 220+ scores after Pakistan tumbled out for 129 against Bangladesh in the opener. Similarly, it was the only game in Colombo that experienced a successful chase, but with rain around bowling first remains a tempting option, making the toss decision a real coin flip.

Heavy afternoon showers are expected on the day of the encounter, albeit a clearer evening forecast may allow for a truncated match. Temperatures are expected to hover in the late 20s degrees celsius, along with extreme humidity levels and a soft breeze. 

England have fielded the same line-up in all their three games so far and with each of them ending in triumph, there is little reason to toy with it. 

Pakistan dropped opener Omaima Sohail after a golden duck in the opener against Bangladesh but with replacement Sadaf Shamas also struggling for rhythm, the Women in Green may revert to experience once again. Lower down, Eyman Fatima made her World Cup debut against Australia with hopes of bolster their faltering batting unit and while a duck may not help her cause, she is likely to get at least another chance before Aliya Riaz is afforded a way back.  

Pakistan (probable): Muneeba Ali, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Eyman Fatima, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (capt), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal  

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