England started the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in perfect fashion with a huge 87-run win over Sri Lanka at Edgbaston. The hosts dominated the match from start to finish and made a strong statement in the tournament opener.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge was the star of the match with a brilliant century. The opener scored 105 runs from just 62 balls and became only the seventh player to score a hundred in Women’s T20 World Cup history. Her innings was filled with excellent shots all around the ground.
Wyatt-Hodge got great support from Amy Jones, who made a quick 53 off 38 balls. The opening pair added more than 100 runs for the first wicket and gave England a flying start. England crossed 50 runs in the Powerplay and continued scoring freely.
Wyatt-Hodge reached her fifty in only 32 balls and later completed her century in style. After Jones was dismissed, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt played an attacking innings of 46 not out from 22 balls. Her late hitting helped England finish strongly.
England ended their innings on 219/1 in 20 overs, the highest team total in Women’s T20 World Cup history. The batters hit boundaries regularly and kept the Sri Lankan bowlers under pressure throughout the innings.
Sri Lanka’s Top Order Collapses Early
Sri Lanka’s chase never really got going. They lost three wickets inside the Powerplay and were reduced to 37/3. Their top-order batters failed to make an impact, making the huge target even harder to chase.
England’s bowlers then took complete control of the match. Freya Kemp was the best performer with the ball, taking four wickets for just 22 runs. She removed key batters and stopped Sri Lanka from building any partnerships.
Lack of Support Hurts Sri Lanka’s Chase
Nilakshika Silva was Sri Lanka’s top scorer with 39 runs from 33 balls. However, she did not get enough support from the other batters. The required run rate kept rising, and Sri Lanka struggled to keep up.
Charlotte Dean and Sophie Ecclestone also bowled well and picked up two wickets each. Their tight bowling made sure Sri Lanka could not gain any momentum during the chase.
Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 132 on the final ball of the innings. England secured a comfortable 87-run victory and got their Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign off to a dream start.