Birmingham, June 13: The host nation, England, kicked off the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a spectacular victory. On Friday night at Edgbaston, England defeated Sri Lanka by 87 runs. Chasing a target of 220 runs set by England, Sri Lanka was bowled out for just 132 runs.
Sri Lanka’s innings started poorly. Captain Chamari Athapaththu failed to make an impact, scoring only 4 runs before being dismissed. Meanwhile, Vishmi Gunaratne was sent back to the pavilion by Lauren Bell after scoring just 6 runs. Imesha Dulani managed only 7 runs, and Hansima Karunaratne fell for 11 runs, becoming Charlie Dean’s victim. Harshitha Samarawickrama hit some powerful shots but could not capitalize on her start, scoring 29 runs off 18 balls before getting out.
Kavisha Dilhari contributed 19 runs, while Nilakshi de Silva was the top scorer for the team with 39 runs off 33 balls. For England, Freya Gracie Kemp was the standout bowler, taking four wickets for just 22 runs in her four-over spell. Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean each claimed two wickets, while Lauren Bell and Smith took one wicket apiece.
Earlier, England showcased excellent batting, scoring 219 runs for the loss of just one wicket in their 20 overs. This score marks the highest in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Amy Jones and Danny Wyatt formed a remarkable partnership, putting together 135 runs for the first wicket in just 13.4 overs.
Jones scored 53 runs off 38 balls, hitting four fours and one six. Wyatt played a brilliant innings, remaining unbeaten on 105 runs off 62 balls, which included 13 fours and one six. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt finished strong, scoring an explosive 46 runs off just 22 balls in the final overs.
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