If the opening match is anything to go by, the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is set for a memorable few weeks. In front of a packed Edgbaston crowd, hosts England produced a dominant all-round performance to beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs and get their campaign off to the perfect start. The tournament’s curtain-raiser had no shortage of headline moments — a World Cup century, a captain’s explosive return from injury, and a ruthless bowling effort that underlined England’s credentials as one of the favourites for the title.
England’s innings was built around a superb 105*(62) from Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who became only the second England player after Heather Knight to score a century in a Women’s T20 World Cup. The opener shared a 135-run stand with Amy Jones, who made 53(38), before Nat Sciver-Brunt walked in and immediately found her rhythm with a blistering 46*(22) on her return to international cricket. England plundered 84 runs in the final 6.2 overs to finish on a daunting 219/1.
Wyatt-Hodge’s century celebration quickly became one of the images of the day as she cradled her bat like a baby, dedicating the knock to her newborn daughter. Sri Lanka struggled to contain England throughout the innings, with all six bowlers conceding at least eight runs an over. Malki Madara picked up the lone wicket but finished with expensive figures of 1/51, while Kavisha Dilhari (0/37) and captain Chamari Athapaththu (0/32) were unable to stem the flow of runs.
Any hopes of a Sri Lankan fightback were dented early when Lauren Bell removed Vishmi Gunaratne for 6(9) before captain Athapaththu fell for 4(7). Harshitha Samarawickrama counterattacked with 29(18) and Nilakshika Silva top-scored with 37(32), but England’s bowlers never allowed the chase to gain momentum. Freya Kemp produced the defining spell of the innings, claiming three wickets in the space of four deliveries while conceding just two runs in the 13th over to effectively end the contest.
The left-arm seamer finished with outstanding figures of 4/21, while Charlie Dean claimed 2/18 and Sophie Ecclestone returned 2/27. Bell (1/15) and Linsey Smith (1/25) also chipped in as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 132 in the final over. For England, it was an emphatic start to a home World Cup; for everyone else, it was an early reminder of the firepower and depth the hosts possess.
Loves all things female cricket