Wyatt-Hodge’s Record Century Powers England to Crushing 87-Run Win in Women’s T20 World Cup Opener

Brief By Newsbrief / 3:35 PM on 14 Jun 2026

England launched their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating Sri Lanka by 87 runs in the tournament’s opening match at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The hosts produced a commanding all-round performance, highlighted by a magnificent century from Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

Opening the innings, Wyatt-Hodge remained unbeaten on 105 from 62 deliveries, striking 12 boundaries and one six. Her innings helped England post a massive total of 219/1 in 20 overs, the highest team score in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup. She also became only the second England player to score a century in the tournament, following Heather Knight, who scored an unbeaten 108 against Thailand in 2020.

Wyatt-Hodge received excellent support from Amy Jones, who scored 53 off 38 balls, including four fours and a six. The pair added 135 runs for the opening wicket, putting Sri Lanka under pressure from the start. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt then provided the finishing touch with an unbeaten 46, ensuring the hosts crossed the 200-run mark comfortably.

Chasing a daunting target of 220, Sri Lanka never managed to build momentum. England’s bowlers struck regularly, restricting the opposition to 132 all out. Freya Kemp was the standout performer with the ball, claiming four wickets and dismantling Sri Lanka’s batting lineup.

Wyatt-Hodge was deservedly named Player of the Match for her record-breaking century. The innings also brought renewed attention to her famous 2014 social media post proposing marriage to Virat Kohli, a moment that later became a light-hearted friendship story between the two cricketers.

England’s dominant victory sends a strong message to the rest of the tournament and underlines their ambitions of lifting the World Cup on home soil.