England Thrash Sri Lanka by 87 Runs to Open Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in Style

Freya Kemp and Danni Wyatt-Hodge
Freya Kemp and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (PC: ECB)

England began their home World Cup campaign with an emphatic victory over Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first. England posted a mammoth 219/1 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 132.

England persisted with the opening pair of Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who have opened since the first warm-up game, and both batters launched an assault on the Sri Lankan bowling. The visitors often gifted them scoring opportunities, with the bowlers providing ample room, particularly to Danni. England raced to 51/0 at the end of the powerplay.

It only got worse for Sri Lanka from there. England added another 84 runs in the next 7.3 overs before Malki Madara dismissed Amy Jones. By then, Jones had registered her second fifty of the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka’s fielders did little to ease the pressure on their bowlers, with dropped catches and misfields compounding their misery.

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt joined Danni in the middle and took full advantage of the inexperienced Sri Lankan attack. The pair added 84 runs from just 38 deliveries, taking England comfortably past the 200-run mark. Danni Wyatt-Hodge went on to score a century and later dedicated the innings to her newborn daughter, Daisy James Wyatt-Hodge.

In reply, Sri Lanka made a disastrous start and were reduced to 39/3 during the powerplay. Vishmi Gunarathne played across the line to an incoming delivery from Lauren Bell, while captain Chamari Athapaththu and Imesha Dulhani both fell attempting sweep shots. Subcontinental batters may need to exercise caution with that stroke on these surfaces, where the extra bounce can prove challenging.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge
Danni Wyatt-Hodge (PC: ICC)

Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshika de Silva were the only Sri Lankan batters to cross the 20-run mark, scoring 29 off 18 balls and 39 off 33 respectively. England, and particularly head coach Charlotte Edwards, will be delighted with Freya Kemp’s performance. Kemp varied her pace effectively, used her cutters intelligently and finished with figures of 4/22 from her four overs.

With Nat Sciver-Brunt unavailable to bowl during this World Cup, Edwards had said in a post-match press conference that Kemp’s overs would be crucial. She also stressed the importance of managing Kemp’s workload but reiterated her faith in the all-rounder’s abilities with both bat and ball.

England could not have asked for a better beginning to their home World Cup. The side looked energised and delivered a complete performance, making a statement in every department. England next face Ireland on 16 June in Southampton.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have another stern challenge awaiting them. They take on defending champions New Zealand on the same day, also in Southampton.

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The post England Thrash Sri Lanka by 87 Runs to Open Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in Style appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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