Chamari Athapaththu gave Sri Lanka an early scare in their pursuit of 254 against England in Colombo, leaving the field on a stretcher with what turned out to be severe cramps. Twenty-odd overs later she was back in the middle, still moving gingerly but determined to see the job through.
The incident looked worse than it was. In the sixth over, after nudging Linsey Smith to deep midwicket and coasting through for a single, Athapaththu suddenly pulled up. She hobbled to the non-striker’s end, sank to the turf face-down and stayed there until the physio arrived. A good five minutes of stretching followed before extra medical staff produced the stretcher. No attempt was made to get her back on her feet, a clear sign Sri Lanka were in no mood to gamble with their captain’s fitness ahead of a demanding World Cup schedule.
Humidity has been punishing in Colombo all month – locals will tell you this is perfectly normal for October – and the skipper had already spent 50 overs in the field, bowling five tidy overs for 21. Even on the eve of the game she could be seen requesting additional stretching from support staff. Fatigue was always going to be a factor, and on Saturday it came calling early.
England’s 253 for 9 was built around another composed hundred from Nat Sciver-Brunt. The hosts knew Athapaththu’s wicket would be central to their defence. When she was stretchered off, England’s huddle looked noticeably livelier; when she re-emerged at 112 for 4 in the 25th over, that energy faded just a touch. Whether the left-hander could bat long enough, and freely enough, remained the bigger question.
From Sri Lanka’s point of view the episode underlined, once more, how much their campaign rests on one player. If the cramps are managed and no further damage is done, the side can breathe a little easier. But the sight of their captain flat on the grass, even briefly, was a timely reminder: the World Cup will test depth as much as talent.
