Sri Lanka Women caused a massive upset in this month's T20I series, but England Women have hit back strongly in the ODIs.

England are 1/16 to wrap up the 50-over series in Leicester in Thursday's third ODI, having eased to a seven-wicket win in the opening game before being frustrated by the rain on Tuesday, while Sri Lanka are 9/1 for victory at Grace Road.

England aim to keep SL batters quiet again

Sri Lanka staged a stunning comeback in the T20I series against England, claiming eight-wicket and seven-wicket wins in the second and third games, but their batters have found things a lot tougher in the 50-over action.

They were bowled out for 106 in Saturday's first ODI at Chester-le-Street, where number three Harshitha Samarawickrama made 35 but none of her team-mates scored more than 10.

England cruised to their target with seven wickets and 32 overs to spare and they were on course for a similarly comprehensive victory until Tuesday's second ODI in Northampton was rained off.

Sri Lanka had crawled to 106-9 before the weather came to their aid, struggling against the pace of Lauren Filer, who took 2-25 form eight overs, and spinner Charlie Dean, who picked up two wickets and conceded just 12 runs from her seven overs.

England will not be taking anything for granted after the Lankans' exploits in the T20I series, but Chamari Athapaththu's side are 9/1 to shock the hosts at Grace Road.

Sri Lanka have lost 16 of their 17 completed ODIs against England and their sole victory was a close-run thing - a thrilling one-wicket win at the 2013 World Cup in Mumbai.

Samarawickrama poses threat to home bowlers

Sri Lanka skipper Athapaththu top-scored with 62 in that famous 2013 victory and she also played a key role in the two T20I victories over England, making 55 and 44 and taking four wickets.

Athapaththu struck a run-a-ball 34 in Tuesday's second ODI, hitting six fours and one six, and she is a clear favourite at 15/8 to be Sri Lanka's Team - Top Batter in Leicester.

Samarawickrama could be a better option for punters at 11/2 after her unbeaten knocks of 30 and 26 in the T20I wins and 35 in the first ODI.

The number three has had some joy against top-class opponents, scoring 42, 42, 22, 39 and 24 in five successive ODIs against England and Australia in 2019, while she made a career-best 75 against Pakistan last year.

England's fast bowlers have caused problems for the tourists' batters in this series, with Filer taking five wickets in two matches and teenage left-armer Mahika Gaur claiming 3-26 in the first ODI.

Gaur was named player of the match on her England ODI debut and is 12/1 to get the award in Leicester. Ace batter Nat Sciver-Brunt is 9/2 and in-form opener Tammy Beaumont is 11/2.

Beaumont to end superb summer on a high

Beaumont top-scored with 32 in England's modest run-chase in the first ODI and she has enjoyed a magnificent summer, making a double-century in the Ashes Test against Australia and a century for Welsh Fire in The Hundred.

The opener has fond memories of ODIs in Leicester, smashing 119 last summer as England racked up 371-7 in a thumping win over South Africa.

Beaumont is 5/6 to score Over 33.5 Batter Match Runs and 6/4 to Score a Fifty in the Match.

Sri Lanka skipper Athapaththu is one of the most dangerous hitters on either team and she is 11/4 in the Player to Score Most Match 6s betting.

The opener clipped Kate Cross for a six over midwicket in Tuesday's game at Northampton, having struck 20 maximums in her last five ODIs before this series.

That destructive run of form included July's unbeaten 140 against New Zealand in Galle, where Athapaththu cracked nine sixes from just 80 deliveries and she is 10/11 for Over 0.5 in the Batter Total Match Sixes market.

bet365 News Team

• England Women's Cricket Team
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