England Women made a powerful start to their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a dominant 87-run win over Sri Lanka Women at Edgbaston on Friday.
Sri Lanka Women won the toss and chose to bowl first, but the decision quickly backfired as England Women produced a record-breaking batting performance. The hosts posted 219 for 1 in 20 overs, the highest total in Women’s T20 World Cup history.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge was the star of the match, scoring a brilliant unbeaten 105 from 62 balls. She controlled the innings from the top and punished Sri Lanka’s bowlers whenever they missed their lines.
Amy Jones gave England the perfect platform with 53 from 38 balls, sharing a 135-run opening stand with Wyatt-Hodge. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt then finished the innings strongly with an unbeaten 46 from just 22 deliveries.
Sri Lanka Women struggled with the ball and also paid the price for missed chances in the field. Against a powerful England batting line-up, those mistakes proved costly as the hosts raced beyond 200 and placed Sri Lanka under immediate pressure.
Chasing 220 for victory, Sri Lanka Women needed a fearless start but never found enough momentum. England’s bowlers kept the pressure on from the beginning and regularly picked up wickets to prevent any serious fightback.
Nilakshika Silva offered some resistance with 37, while Harshitha Samarawickrama added 29, but Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 132 in 20 overs. Freya Kemp was outstanding with the ball, taking 4 for 21 and breaking the backbone of Sri Lanka’s chase.
The result gives England Women a perfect start to their home World Cup campaign, while Sri Lanka Women will need to regroup quickly before their next group match. Chamari Athapaththu’s side still have time to recover, but they must improve with both bat and ball if they are to challenge the stronger teams in the tournament.
Chief Scores
England Women 219/1 in 20 overs
Danni Wyatt-Hodge 105 not out, Amy Jones 53, Nat Sciver-Brunt 46 not out
Malki Madara 1/51
Sri Lanka Women 132 all out in 20 overs
Nilakshika Silva 37, Harshitha Samarawickrama 29
Freya Kemp 4/21, Charlie Dean 2/18, Sophie Ecclestone 2/27
Result: England Women won by 87 runs
Woman of the Match: Danni Wyatt-Hodge
