Women's T20 WC: Wyatt-Hodge's century powers England to record victory
What's the story
Danni Wyatt-Hodge's brilliant century helped England secure a resounding victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup. The game was held at Edgbaston, where England set a tournament-record total of 219 runs for just one wicket. This was also the highest-ever total in women's T20 World Cups, surpassing the previous record of 213 runs set by England against Pakistan in 2023. Sri Lanka perished for 132 with Freya Kemp claiming a four-fer.
ENG summary
Wyatt-Hodge's brilliance propels England to record total
Wyatt-Hodge's innings of 105 not out off just 62 balls was the highlight of England's innings. Wyatt-Hodge laid the foundation with a mammoth 135-run opening stand alongside Amy Jones (53). After Jones' dismissal in the 14th over, skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt joined Wyatt-Hodge and the two added an unbeaten 84-run stand off 38 balls. Wyatt-Hodge completed her century in the 20th over. She ended the innings with a four. Sciver-Brunt remained unbeaten on 46 runs off just 22 balls.
Opening partnership
Massive opening stand between Wyatt-Hodge and Jones
The opening duo of Wyatt-Hodge and Jones put on a massive 135-run stand for the first wicket. Wyatt-Hodge reached her half-century in just 32 balls, celebrating with a 'rock the baby' gesture to honor her newborn daughter. She also hit the tournament's first six in the same over. Jones was dropped twice during her innings but eventually fell in the 14th over after scoring a half-century.
Chase
Sri Lanka falter in chase as Kemp shines
In response to England's mammoth total, Sri Lanka struggled and was bowled out for 132 runs in 20 overs. Kemp was the star of the show with the ball, taking four wickets for 22 runs. She even managed to take three wickets in four balls at one point. Sophie Ecclestone did well, claiming two wickets from her 4 overs. For SL-W, Nilakshika Silva scored 39 runs off 33 balls.
Information
Jones slams her 7th fifty in WT20Is
Jones smashed four fours and a six in her knock of 53. She registered her 7th fifty in Women's T20Is. She raced to 1,817 runs from 132 matches (106 innings) at 21.12. In 22 T20 World Cup games, Jones has amassed 340 runs from 17 innings (50s: 2).
Wyatt-Hodge
2nd Englishwoman with a T20 World Cup hundred
With this knock of 105*, Wyatt-Hodge raced to 593 runs in the T20 World Cup from 30 games at 25.78. She clocked her maiden hundred (50s: 2). As per ESPNcricinfo, she became the 7th batter in the tournament's history to smash a hundred. Wyatt-Hodge is also the 2nd Englishwoman after Heather Knight to clock a hundred.
Do you know?
3rd-highest scorer for England in Women's T20 World Cup
Wyatt-Hodge owns the 3rd-most runs for ENG-W in T20 World Cup. Sciver-Brunt leads the show with 784 runs at 41.26. Meanwhile, Charlotte Edwards is next with 768 runs at 36.57. Wyatt-Hodge also became the 5th England batter with 500-plus runs in T20 World Cup.
Records
Partnership records for Jones and Wyatt-Hodge in T20 World Cup
Jones and Wyatt-Hodge's 135-run stand is the 4th-highest for any wicket in the coveted tournament. It's also England's 2nd-highest stand for any wicket after Sciver-Brunt and Knight's 169*-run stand for the 3rd wicket versus Thailand Women in 2020. Jones and Wyatt-Hodge have put up the highest partnership (any wicket) against Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup history.
Do you know?
3rd WT20I hundred for Wyatt-Hodge
Playing her 181st WT20 game (160 innings), Wyatt-Hodge owns 3,474 runs at 23.95. In addition to three centuries, she has slammed 21 fifties. Wyatt-Hodge equaled Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu, West Indies' Hayley Mathews and South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt in terms of centuries (3) among Full-Member teams.
3,000
Nat Sciver-Brunt becomes second England batter with 3,000 WT20I runs
England skipper Sciver-Brunt became the second batter from her country to complete 3,000 runs in Women's T20Is. The all-rounder reached the milestone with his 40th run. Sciver-Brunt scored an unbeaten 46, slamming a six and six fours. Playing her 138th WT20I (132 innings), Sciver-Brunt raced to 3,006 runs at 29.47, as per ESPNcricinfo. Wyatt-Hodge is the only other England batter in the 3,000-run club (WT20Is). Overall, Sciver-Brunt is the 15th batter with 3,000-plus runs.
Record
Highest team total in Women's T20 World Cup
England recorded the highest score in the history of WT20 World Cups (219/1), breaking their own record of 213/5. Highest team totals in Women's T20 World Cup: 219/1 - ENG-W SL-W, Edgbaston, 2026 213/5 - ENG-W vs PAK-W, Cape Town, 2023 195/3 - SA-W vs THA-W, Canberra, 2020 194/5 - IND-W vs NZ-W, Providence, 2018
Kemp
Freya Kemp registers 3rd-best figures for ENG-W
Kemp became the 3rd England bowler with a four-fer in Women's T20 World Cup. She joined Holly Colvin (4/9 versus PAK, 2012) and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (4/11 vs SA, 2010). Meanwhile, she now owns the 3rd-best figures for England in the coveted event. Kemp also became the 6th bowler with a four-fer versus SL-W in T20 World Cup. She joined the likes of India's Diana David (4/12 in 2010), West Indies' Shanel Daley (4/15 in 2015), Ireland's Ciara Metcalfe (4/15 in 2016), India's Radha Yadav (4/23 in 2020) and Australia's Megan Schutt (4/24 in 2023).