The 18th T20 match of WBBL 2025 between Brisbane Heat Women and Sydney Thunder Women will take place at Allen Border Field in Brisbane on Friday. The Brisbane Heat Women will try to come back after losing their last game to the Hobart Hurricanes Women. After their big win against the Perth Scorchers Women, the Sydney Thunder Women will be filled with confidence.

The Brisbane Heat Women are going through a nightmare this year. Brisbane Heat has failed to win a single match, and with 3 losses, they stand at the bottom of the point table. Sydney Thunder Women have also displayed below-average performance. They stand at the 7th spot on the point table with a single win and 3 losses.

Also Read: WBBL 2025: BH-W vs ST-W Dream11 Prediction 18th Match Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI

BH-W vs ST-W Match Details

• Match: Brisbane Heat Women vs Sydney Thunder Women, 18th Match

• Date: 21st November 2025

• Time: 2.40 PM IST

• Venue: Allan Border Field, Brisbane 

• Live Streaming: FanCode

BH-W vs ST-W Weather Report

BH-W vs ST-W Pitch Report

It is a neutral wicket that has helped the bowlers significantly in WBBL 2025. The average first-innings score at this venue is 150 runs

Top Batters to Watch – BH-W vs ST-W

• Tahila Wilson (ST-W): 114 runs in this Tournament 

• Phoebe Litchfield (ST-W): 86 runs in this Tournament 

• Georgia Voll (ST-W): 85 runs in this Tournament 

Top Bowlers to Watch – BH-W vs ST-W

• Shabnim Ismail (ST-W): 7 wickets in this Tournament 

• Samantha Bates (ST-W): 5 wickets in this Tournament 

• Georgia Voll (ST-W): 4 wickets in this Tournament 

BH-W vs ST-W Recent Form

BH-W vs ST-W Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1: If ST-W Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 40–50

• Predicted Total: 160–175

• Match Result: ST-W to win

Scenario 2: If BH-W Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 35–45

• Predicted Total: 130–140

• Match Result: BH-W to win

Who Will Hit the Most Sixes?

Who Will Hit the Most Fours?

BH-W vs ST-W Predicted Playing XIs

Brisbane Heat Women 

Jess Jonassen (c), Charli Knott, Grace Harris, Jemimah Rodrigues, Chinelle Henry, Nadine de Klerk, Georgia Redmayne (wk), Mikayla Wrigley, Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Lucy Hamilton

Sydney Thunder Women 

Phoebe Litchfield (c), Tahlia Wilson (wk), Georgia Voll, Heather Knight, Chamari Athapaththu, Laura Harris, Anika Learoyd, Lucy Finn, Taneale Peschel, Shabnim Ismail, Samantha Bates.

BH-W vs ST-W Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win Today?

We predict that the Sydney Thunder Women will win this WBBL 2025 match. Georgia Voll, Heather Knight and Chamari Athapaththu will be key players to watch out for.

BH-W vs ST-W Match FAQs

The 15th T20 match of WBBL 2025 between Sydney Thunder Women and Perth Scorchers Women will take place at Drummoyne Oval, Sydney, on Wednesday. Sydney Thunder Women are currently in 7th place in the WBBL point table with 3 losses, and they have failed to score a single win. They lost their previous match by 24 runs. 

On the other hand, the Perth Scorchers Women are currently at the 4th spot in the point table with 2 wins and the same number of losses. Their net run rate stands at -0.745. They won their last match by 9 runs against the Adelaide Strikers Women.

Also Read: WBBL 2025: ST-W vs PS-W Dream11 Prediction 15th Match Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI

ST-W vs PS-W Match Details

• Match: Sydney Thunder Women vs Perth Scorchers Women, 15th Match

• Date: 19th November 2025

• Time: 1.40 PM IST

• Venue: Drummoyne Oval, Sydney 

• Live Streaming: FanCode

ST-W vs PS-W Weather Report

ST-W vs PS-W Pitch Report

It is a neutral wicket that has helped the bowlers significantly in WBBL 2025. The average first-innings score at this venue is 128 runs

Top Batters to Watch – ST-W vs PS-W

• Beth Mooney (PS-W): 139 runs in this Tournament 

• Heather Knight (ST-W): 75 runs in this Tournament 

• Katie Mack (PS-W): 74 runs in this Tournament 

Top Bowlers to Watch – ST-W vs PS-W

• Shabnim Ismail (ST-W): 6 wickets in this Tournament 

• Sophie Devine (PS-W): 5 wickets in this Tournament 

• Georgia Voll (ST-W): 4 wickets in this Tournament 

ST-W vs PS-W Recent Form

ST-W vs PS-W Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1: If PS-W Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 40–45

• Predicted Total: 140–145

• Match Result: PS-W to win

Scenario 2: If ST-W Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 35–45

• Predicted Total: 120–130

• Match Result: PS-W to win

Who Will Hit the Most Sixes?

Who Will Hit the Most Fours?

ST-W vs PS-W Predicted Playing XIs

Sydney Thunder Women 

Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson (wk), Phoebe Litchfield (c), Heather Knight, Chamari Athapaththu, Anika Learoyd, Laura Harris, Lucy Finn, Taneale Peschel, Shabnim Ismail, Samantha Bates

Perth Scorchers Women 

Beth Mooney (wk), Katie Mack, Sophie Devine (c), Mikayla Hinkley, Freya Kemp, Paige Scholfield, Alana King, Chloe Ainsworth, Ruby Strange, Lilly Mills, Amy Edgar.

ST-W vs PS-W Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win Today?

We predict that the Perth Scorchers Women will win this WBBL 2025 match. Beth Mooney, Katie Mack and Sophie Devine will be key players to watch out for.

ST-W vs PS-W Match FAQs

Sydney Thunder Women and Sydney Sixers Women are set to play the 11th T20 match in WBBL 2025-26 at Drummoyne Oval on Saturday. The Sydney Thunder side has lost back-to-back matches in contrasting fashion. While they bowled poorly in their opening game, the batters let them down in a 4-wicket loss against the Melbourne Renegades Women in the last game.

On the other hand, the Sydney Sixers Women's team lost to the Hobart Hurricanes Women's team in the last game by 6 wickets. This loss would have come as a surprise to their fans after their 10-wicket win in the series opener. Gardner hopes the middle order performs better after the team struggled with the bat in the last game.

Also Read: WBBL 2025: ST-W vs SS-W Dream11 Prediction 11th Match Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI

ST-W vs SS-W Match Details

• Match: Sydney Thunder Women vs Sydney Sixers Women, 11th Match

• Date: 15th November 2025

• Time: 1.40 PM IST

• Venue: Drummoyne Oval, Sydney 

• Live Streaming: FanCode

ST-W vs SS-W Weather Report

ST-W vs SS-W Pitch Report

The surface here will be good for batting with very short boundaries on either side. We can expect a high-scoring fixture, and both teams will prefer chasing.

Top Batters to Watch – ST-W vs SS-W

• Ellyse Perry (SS-W): 80 runs in this Tournament 

• Heather Knight (ST-W): 69 runs in this Tournament 

• Sophia Dunkley (SS-W): 67 runs in this Tournament 

Top Bowlers to Watch – ST-W vs SS-W

• Ashleigh Gardner (SS-W): 6 wickets in this Tournament 

• Shabnim Ismail (ST-W): 3 wickets in this Tournament 

• Samantha Bates (ST-W): 3 wickets in this Tournament 

ST-W vs SS-W Recent Form

ST-W vs SS-W Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1: If SS-W Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 40–50

• Predicted Total: 150–160

• Match Result: SS-W to win

Scenario 2: If ST-W Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 35–40

• Predicted Total: 130–140

• Match Result: SS-W to win

Who Will Hit the Most Sixes?

Who Will Hit the Most Fours?

ST-W vs SS-W Predicted Playing XIs

Sydney Sixers Women 

Ashleigh Gardner (c), Ellyse Perry, Sophia Dunkley, Alyssa Healy (wk), Amelia Kerr, Erin Burns, Maitlan Brown, Mady Villiers, Mathilda Carmichael, Caoimhe Bray, Lauren Cheatle

Sydney Thunder Women 

Phoebe Litchfield (c), Tahlia Wilson (wk), Georgia Voll, Heather Knight, Chamari Athapaththu, Laura Harris, Anika Learoyd, Hasrat Gill, Taneale Peschel, Shabnim Ismail, Samantha Bates.

ST-W vs SS-W Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win Today?

We predict that the Sydney Sixers Women will win this WBBL 2025 match. Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry and Sophia Dunkley will be key players to watch out for.

ST-W vs SS-W Match FAQs

We have had a good start to the Women's Big Bash League 2025. The 5th game is underway, with the defending champions, Melbourne Renegades Women, facing the Sydney Thunder Women. The Renegades Women started with a win, defeating the Brisbane Heat Women, while the Sydney Thunder Women suffered a loss against the Hobart Hurricanes Women in their first game.

The Melbourne Renegades Women have an impressive record against the Sydney Thunder Women. Starting the tournament with a win will give them confidence. The Sydney Thunder Women's last game was a struggle with the ball and they need to improve in that area.

Also Read: WBBL 2025: MR-W vs ST-W Boom11 Prediction 05th Match Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI

MR-W vs ST-W Match Details

• Match: Melbourne Renegades Women vs Sydney Thunder Women, 5th Match

• Date: 11th November 2025

• Time: 9.40 AM IST

• Venue: Junction Oval, Melbourne 

• Live Streaming: FanCode

MR-W vs ST-W Weather Report

MR-W vs ST-W Pitch Report

The surface here will be good for batting with very short boundaries on either side. We can expect a high-scoring fixture, and both teams will prefer chasing.

Top Batters to Watch – MR-W vs ST-W

• Heather Knight (ST-W): 39 runs in this Tournament 

• Courtney Webb (MR-W): 34 runs in this Tournament 

• Chamari Athapaththu (ST-W): 32 runs in this Tournament 

Top Bowlers to Watch – MR-W vs ST-W

• Georgia Wareham (MR-W): 3 wickets in this Tournament 

• Alice Capsey (MR-W): 3 wickets in this Tournament 

• Tess Flintoff (MR-W): 4 wickets in this Tournament 

MR-W vs ST-W Recent Form

MR-W vs ST-W Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1: If MR-W Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 40–45

• Predicted Total: 160–170

• Match Result: MR-W to win

Scenario 2: If ST-W Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 35–45

• Predicted Total: 135–145

• Match Result: MR-W to win

Who Will Hit the Most Sixes?

Who Will Hit the Most Fours?

MR-W vs ST-W Predicted Playing XIs

Melbourne Renegades Women 

Georgia Wareham (c), Davina Perrin, Courtney Webb, Deandra Dottin, Naomi Stalenberg, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Alice Capsey, Sarah Coyte, Charis Bekker, Milly Illingworth

Sydney Thunder Women 

Phoebe Litchfield (c), Tahlia Wilson (wk), Georgia Voll, Heather Knight, Chamari Athapaththu, Laura Harris, Anika Learoyd, Hasrat Gill, Taneale Peschel, Shabnim Ismail, Samantha Bates.

MR-W vs ST-W Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win Today?

We predict that the Melbourne Renegades Women will win this WBBL 2025 match. Courtney Webb, Deandra Dottin and Alice Capsey will be key players to watch out for.

MR-W vs ST-W Match FAQs

Sydney Thunder Women will face off against the Hobart Hurricanes Women in match 2 of the Women's Big Bash League 2025 season on Sunday, November 9th at Allan Border Field in Brisbane, Australia.  Phoebe Litchfield leads the Sydney Thunder team and is currently in good shape, having scored 1,554 runs in her WBBL career. Chamari Athapaththu, Heather Knight, and Shabnim Ismail are all bringing their wealth of experience to support her.

The Hobart Hurricanes team is led by Elyse Villani, a player with vast experience who can attack and score runs at the top. Their two foreign imports, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Kathryn Bryce, provide value and depth both with the bat and ball.

Also Read: WBBL 2025: ST-W vs HH-W Dream11 Prediction 02nd Match Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI

ST-W vs HB-W Match Details

• Match: Sydney Thunder Women vs Hobart Hurricanes Women, 2nd Match

• Date: 9th November 2025

• Time: 11.40 AM IST

• Venue: Allan Border Field 

• Live Streaming: FanCode

ST-W vs HB-W Weather Report

ST-W vs HB-W Pitch Report

The surface here will be good for batting with very short boundaries on either side. We can expect a high-scoring fixture, and both teams will prefer chasing.

Top Batters to Watch – ST-W vs HB-W

• Lizelle Lee (HB-W): 2465 runs in WBBL

• Elyse Villani (HB-W): 3699 runs in WBBL 

• Heather Knight (ST-W): 2309 runs in WBBL

Top Bowlers to Watch – ST-W vs HB-W

• Nicola Carey (HB-W):  62 wickets in WBBL

• Heather Graham (HB-W): 69 wickets in WBBL

• Shabnim Ismail (ST-W): 48 wickets in WBBL

ST-W vs HB-W Recent Form

ST-W vs HB-W Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1: If HB-W Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 40–45

• Predicted Total: 135–150

• Match Result: HB-W to win

Scenario 2: If ST-W Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 35–40

• Predicted Total: 120–135

• Match Result: HB-W to win

Who Will Hit the Most Sixes?

Who Will Hit the Most Fours?

ST-W vs HB-W Predicted Playing XIs

Sydney Thunder Women 

Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield (C), Tahlia Wilson (wk), Chamari Athapaththu, Heather Knight, Taneale Peschel, Anika Learoyd, Laura Harris, Hannah Darlington, Shabnim Ismail, Hasrat Gill

Hobart Hurricanes Women 

Lizelle Lee (wk), Elyse Villani, Kathryn Bryce, Nat Sciver Brunt, Heather Graham, Rachel Trenaman, Nicola Carey, Ruth Johnston, Linsey Smith, Molly Strano, Hayley Siler Holmes.

ST-W vs HB-W Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win Today?

We predict that Hobart Hurricanes Women will win this WBBL 2025 match. Nat Sciver Brunt, Heather Graham and Linsey Smith will be key players to watch out for.

ST-W vs HB-W Match FAQs

England Women currently hold the 2nd spot in the point table with 2 consecutive wins in the ongoing tournament. Their net run rate stands at +1.757. Sri Lanka Women currently stands at the 7th spot in the point table with one loss and one no-result match. Their net run rate stands at -1.255.

In the past, ENG-W vs SL-W has taken place 20 times, and in these 20 matches, England Women emerged victorious in 17 matches, while Sri Lanka Women secured just one victory and the remaining two matches ended with no result.

ENG-W vs SL-W Match Details

Date: 11th October 2025

Time: 3:00 PM IST

Venue: R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium 

Live Streaming: Fancode

ENG-W vs SL-W Weather Report

There are no signs of any rain interruptions throughout the game. It is pleasant conditions and perfect throughout the game.

Also Read: ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025: AUS-W vs SL-W Today Match Prediction– 5th Match, Who will win today?

Top Batters ENG-W vs SL-W

• Heather Knight (ENG-W) - 79 runs in this tournament 

• Chamari Athapaththu (SL-W) - 43 runs in this tournament 

• Amy Jones (ENG-W) - 41 runs in this tournament 

Top Bowler ENG-W vs SL-W

• Sophie Ecclestone (ENG-W) - 5 wickets in this tournament 

• Linsey Smith (ENG-W) - 5 wickets in this tournament 

• Charlie Dean (ENG-W) - 4 wickets in this tournament 

ENG-W vs SL-W Recent Performance

ENG-W vs SL-W Today's Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If ENG-W bats first

• Powerplay prediction - 55-60 Runs

• First Innings score prediction - ENG-W is expected to score 250- 270 runs

• Result prediction- ENG-W will win the match by 50-60 runs

Scenario 2- If the SL-W bats first

• Powerplay prediction - 40-45 Runs

• First Innings score prediction- SL-W is expected to score 200-210 runs

• Result prediction- ENG-W will win the match by 6 wickets 

Who will hit the Most Sixes?

Who will hit the most sixes for England Women in the match: Heather Knight and Natalie Sciver

Who will hit the most sixes for Sri Lanka Women in the match: Chamari Atapattu and Nilakshi de Silva

Who will hit the Most Fours?

Who will hit the most fours for England Women Women in the match: Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont 

Who will hit the most fours for Sri Lanka Women in the match: Chamari Atapattu and Kavisha Dilhari

ENG-W vs SL-W Predicted Playing XI

England Women (ENG-W) Playing XI 

Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (WK), Heather Knight, Natalie Sciver, Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlotte Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Sri Lanka Women (SL-W) Playing XI 

Chamari Atapattu, Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Rajapaksha Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (WK), Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera.

ENG-W vs SL-W Complete Squad

England Women - 

Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

Sri Lanka Women -

Chamari Athapaththu, Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunarathne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kaveesha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani, Imesha Dulani, Dewmi Vihanga, Piumi Wathsala, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Dasanayaka, Udeshika Prabodani, Malki Madara, Achini Kulasooriya.

ENG-W vs SL-W Today Match Prediction, Who Will Win the Match?

England Women to win

We predict that England Women will win this ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 match. Nat Sciver Brunt, Tammy Beaumont and Linsey Smith will be key players to watch out for.

FAQs – ENG-W vs SL-W Today Match Prediction

Q1. What is the venue for today’s ENG-W vs SL-W match?

A: The match will be played at R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium, Colombo 

Q2. Who will win today’s ENG-W vs SL-W match?

A: According to today's match prediction, England Women are the favorites to win the 12th ODI of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.

Q3. What is the weather forecast for the ENG-W vs SL-W match?

A: The weather is expected to be clear with no chances of rain and ideal conditions for cricket.

Q4. Who are the key players to watch in today’s match?

A: Heather Knight, Natalie Sciver and Sophie Ecclestone for England; Chamari Atapattu, Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama for Sri Lanka.

England Women registered a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Bangladesh Women in Match 8 of the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Bangladesh, who won the toss, chose to bat first but could not score as they would have liked. Sobhana Mostary played patiently for her 60 runs from 108 balls, while wickets kept falling at the other end. A quick 43 runs from Rabeya Khan in the final overs helped Bangladesh reach 178 runs before getting all out in 47.2 overs.

England's pursuit was not off to a good beginning, with Marufa Akter bowling superbly and removing two wickets early. But captain Heather Knight countered with a composed and assured innings, making 76 off 107 deliveries. Charlie Dean assisted her by making 23, as the duo guided England out of early woes. Though they lost a couple of wickets in the end, England overhauled the target in 45.5 overs to achieve a four-wicket victory. 

ENG-W vs PAK-W: Who Said What?

Heather Knight (Player of the Match):

"Those weren't the easiest conditions. Bangladesh have got a good bowling attack. They are skillful. We were under pressure but happy to get across the line in the World Cup. On Marufa Akter – she's a very good bowler. She gets that late swing which is rare. She's a trump card and it was a challenge for us. I got reprieved a couple of times. Capsey played really well to get a little partnership. Charlie also played well. We spoke about building a partnership. The way they bowled with accuracy, it was good to get that partnership under pressure. Good. I have lost a few kgs. It has been ages since I have fielded 50 overs and batted for so long. There will be some stiffness but happy to do so."

See Also: Women's World Cup 2025 Match 9: AUS-W vs PAK-W head-to-head, stadium stats, predicted playing XIs & points table

Nat Sciver-Brunt (England Women Captain):

"Yeah, we did what we needed to get over the line. Before the tournament, we spoke as a group that we need to be gritty and resilient to get over the line. It could have looked better but we are a happy side. Early on, it felt it was easier to hit seam. Capsey bowled some important overs. It was very valuable and we were happy to restrict them to that total. We are pretty lucky to have Linsey and Sophie who can bowl in the death. Something to think for me when the lights come in, it's easier to bat and bring back Bell in the attack or hold back Sophie. Talking about the balance of the side, great thing is we have Charlie coming in at that number. The calmness that they both showed was brilliant. We would have liked to get over the line with more wickets in hand."

Nigar Sultana (Bangladesh Women Captain):

"It was an incredible game how my girls fought till the last ball. It was incredible. We lost early wickets but Sobhana played a good knock but no one supported her. Rabeya played a good cameo. We were 20-30 runs short on this surface. I wanted to play till the last ball. It would be more effective to get 10-12 more runs. They are very young and can't make decisions sometimes so we wanted to help them. Fahima did really well but if we got some support from Rabeya and Nahida – our main bowlers, maybe we would have some chance."

England women defeated a spirited Bangladesh women side by four wickets at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, October 7, to move to the top of the Women’s World Cup 2025 standings. After winning the toss, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt chose to bowl first, and her bowlers made early breakthroughs to put Bangladesh under some pressure. Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith took the wickets of Rubya Haider and Nigar Sultana within the powerplay, however, Sobhana Mostary and Sharmin Akhter built a steady partnership of 34 runs, rebuilding the innings.

Mostary led the innings for Bangladesh, finishing on a mature 60 runs off 108 balls, while Rabeya Khan gave a burst at the end with 43 runs off 27 balls. As a result of those innings, Bangladesh only managed to score 178 runs in 49.4 overs, where Sophie Ecclestone took the three wickets for England while Charlie Dean, Alice Capsey, and Linsey Smith chipped in with two wickets each to restrict Bangladesh to a below par score.

In reply, England started shakily, losing Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont early to Marufa Akter’s clever in-swingers. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight steadied the innings with a 40-run stand, but further wickets kept England under pressure at 103/6 in the 30th over. Knight and Dean then forged a crucial 79-run partnership to guide England to a four-wicket win with 23 balls to spare. Below are the main reasons for the Bangladesh women defeat:

1. Slow Scoring and Batting Collapse

Bangladesh had difficulty finding runs against disciplined bowling from the England attack. Sobhana Mostary held one end but had very little support from her teammates. Wickets fell at regular times, and the pressure of slow scoring added to the pressure. This prevented Bangladesh from putting up a competitive total on the board.

2. England’s Spin Bowling

England’s spinners were excellent throughout the match. Sophie Ecclestone provided 3 wickets for 24 runs, with important wickets also coming from Charlie Dean, Linsey Smith and Alice Capsey. The spinners all bowled with great control, which created pressure on Bangladesh to be able to play their normal game and score runs.

See Also: Pakistan Cricket faces attendance woes; PCB offers free tickets for South Africa Tests

3. Heather Knight’s Calm Innings

Captain Heather Knight was the key difference in the chase. she stayed calm under pressure, Knight built key partnerships after a few early wickets and calmly took England safely over the line with a knock of 76, a demonstration of her experience in difficult situations.

After Bangladesh Women set a target of 179 runs against the four-time champions England Women in the eighth game of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 at Guwahati, Bangladesh bowlers have put strong pressure on the experienced English batters with their consistent tight bowling performances. However, there were some big questions in the second innings, while the third umpire ruled out two dismissals of English opener Heather Knight due to inconclusive evidence, and both have created massive controversies in the cricket world.

Heather Knight got life from caught behind appeal

The first incident happened during the first ball of the third over. Bangladesh pacer Marufa Akter once again shone with the new ball, who just took a wicket on the last ball of the previous over. In the first controversial incident, Bangladesh had a caught behind appeal against Heather Knight while the bowling end umpire raised her finger to give an out. Knight went for a review, where the third umpire checked lbw, as the ball clearly hit the pad first, and the impact was outside off to declare that not out as lbw.

Then the third umpire checked the caught behind. The ball was jammed between bat and pad, while the ball clearly hit the pad first, but there was no conclusive evidence that the ball hit the bat. Due to this reason, the third umpire requested the on-field umpire to change the decision to not out. While there was no conclusive evidence, many believe that the third umpire should go with the on-field decision, but the third umpire changed it due to inconclusive evidence of hitting the ball with the bat. 

See Also: From Throwing Javelins to Breaking Records: Tazmin Brits Surpasses Smriti Mandhana with Five ODI Centuries

Heather Knight got another life due to inconclusive evidence of fingers completely underneath the ball

The second incident happened during the 15th over, when England crossed 60 runs and lost two wickets. On the third ball of that over, Fahima Khatun delivered a flight, and Knight's chip shot to the cover was stunningly grabbed by Shorna Akter. While Bangladesh were celebrating, Knight was ultimately walking to the dressing room with a big disappointment for failing to utilise her luck. However, the on-field umpires decided to go for a review to check the catch. 

It was another close decision, as the ball was low during the catch. However, the third umpire claimed that, as there was no conclusive evidence of fingers completely underneath the ball, it was judged as a not out. Knight once again got a life as this time she was batting on 13 runs off 41 balls, and Bangladesh were clearly unhappy.  

What does the law say?

The ICC Women's ODI Playing Conditions (January 2024), 3.3.6 claims, "If despite the available technology, the third umpire is unable to decide with a high degree of confidence whether the original on-field decision should be changed, then he/she shall report that the replays are ‘inconclusive’, and that the on-field decision shall stand. The third umpire shall not give answers conveying likelihoods or probabilities."

Especially for the first overturn, the third umpire changed the decision by claiming inconclusive evidence of hitting the ball with the bat. Although the playing conditions say that if the replays are inconclusive, the on-field decision should stand, the third umpire called inconclusive regarding hitting the ball with the bat. In the second decision, the on-field umpires decided to go for the third umpire, while there was still a question about how it could be given not out if there wasn't any conclusive evidence of the ball hitting the ground during the catch.