📅 June 12, 2026 | By Pulse India News Desk
England Women made a dominant start to their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a thumping 87-run victory over Sri Lanka Women at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Sent into bat after losing the toss, England produced a record-breaking batting display, posting 219/1 in 20 overs, the highest total in Women’s T20 World Cup history. The innings was powered by a sensational unbeaten century from Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who smashed 105* off 62 balls.
In reply, Sri Lanka never really threatened the target. Despite fighting knocks from Nilakshika Silva and Harshitha Samarawickrama, they were bowled out for 132 in 20 overs, with Freya Kemp starring with the ball.
England Women: 219/1 in 20 overs
Sri Lanka Women: 132 all out in 20 overs
Result: England Women won by 87 runs
Player of the Match: Danni Wyatt-Hodge – 105* off 62 balls
📊 Match in Phases
| Phase | England Women | Sri Lanka Women | Key Story |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerplay | 51/0 | 39/3 | England flew early, Sri Lanka lost control quickly |
| Middle Overs | 84/1 | 53/5 | Wyatt-Hodge controlled the innings; Sri Lanka collapsed |
| Death Overs | 84/0 | 40/2 | Sciver-Brunt powered England beyond 200 |
England were sent in to bat by Sri Lanka, but the decision quickly backfired as Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt-Hodge gave England a superb start.
The opening pair added 135 runs in 13.4 overs, completely taking control of the game. Amy Jones played a fluent hand of 53 off 38 balls, giving England a strong platform.
But the star of the innings was Danni Wyatt-Hodge. She batted with complete authority, punished anything loose and used the pace of the pitch brilliantly. Her unbeaten 105 off 62 balls included 13 fours and 1 six.
After Jones fell, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt walked in and added further damage with a destructive 46 not out off just 22 balls. Her strike rate of 209.09 pushed England to a massive 219/1.
Sri Lanka’s chase began poorly. Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu and Imesha Dulani were all dismissed inside the Powerplay, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 37/3.
Harshitha Samarawickrama briefly counter-attacked with 29 off 18 balls, while Nilakshika Silva fought hard for 39 off 33 balls. However, the required rate was always out of reach.
Freya Kemp then ripped through Sri Lanka’s middle and lower order, finishing with excellent figures of 4/22 in 4 overs. Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean also chipped in with two wickets each as England sealed a commanding win.
🔥 Danni Wyatt-Hodge: 105* off 62 balls – a historic century and the foundation of England’s record total.
🔥 Nat Sciver-Brunt: 46* off 22 balls – explosive finishing in the death overs.
🔥 Amy Jones: 53 off 38 balls – gave England the perfect opening platform.
🔥 Freya Kemp: 4/22 in 4 overs – destroyed Sri Lanka’s chase with key wickets.
🔥 Sophie Ecclestone: 2/27 in 4 overs – controlled the middle overs with experience.
🔥 Charlie Dean: 2/18 in 3 overs – struck important early blows.
The biggest turning point came during England’s opening partnership.
Once Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones added 135 runs for the first wicket, Sri Lanka were pushed onto the back foot. England already had control by the 14th over, and Sciver-Brunt’s late acceleration made the target almost impossible.
❌ Sri Lanka gave too much width to Danni Wyatt-Hodge, allowing her to score freely square of the wicket.
❌ Their bowlers failed to control the Powerplay and conceded 51 runs without a breakthrough.
❌ Fielding looked untidy, and England kept finding easy boundaries.
❌ Chamari Athapaththu fell early in the chase, leaving Sri Lanka without their biggest match-winner.
❌ The middle order collapsed from 67/5 to 92/8, ending any slim hopes of a comeback.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge produced one of the finest innings in Women’s T20 World Cup history.
Her unbeaten 105 off 62 balls was full of control, placement and clean hitting. She dominated Sri Lanka’s attack from the start and ensured England posted a tournament-record total.
On a good batting pitch, Wyatt-Hodge made Sri Lanka pay for every loose delivery and set the tone for England’s campaign in style.
📌 England Women posted 219/1, the highest total in Women’s T20 World Cup history.
📌 Danni Wyatt-Hodge scored an unbeaten 105 off 62 balls.
📌 England’s opening partnership was worth 135 runs.
📌 Nat Sciver-Brunt scored 46* off 22 balls at a strike rate of 209.09.
📌 Freya Kemp picked up 4 wickets for 22 runs.
📌 Sri Lanka were bowled out for 132 in 20 overs.
This was the perfect start for England Women in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The batting was ruthless, the bowling was disciplined, and the fielding pressure never allowed Sri Lanka to settle. England looked like a side that had prepared well and executed their plans with clarity.
For Sri Lanka, the biggest concern will be the bowling discipline and fielding standards. They gave England too many scoring options and never managed to build pressure for long periods.
England have now laid down an early marker in the tournament, while Sri Lanka must regroup quickly before facing another difficult opponent in New Zealand.
