Wyatt-Hodge's Record Century
Wyatt-Hodge's Maiden World Cup Century Drives England to Dominant Victory Over Sri Lanka
Key Points
Wyatt-Hodge’s 105* was not only England’s tournament-opener match-winning innings, but also the first century of the 2026 tournament and “only the seventh hundred in the tournament’s history,” described as her maiden Women’s World Cup century (and just the second by an English batter in the competition). She reached the milestone off the penultimate ball and finished by hitting “a boundary off the final ball.”
Amy Jones benefited from two specific reprieves—being dropped on 12 and again on 48—and was then removed in the 14th over after mistiming Malki Madara, presenting a simple catch to Chamari Athapaththu at mid-off.
Freya Kemp’s bowling spell included a rapid collapse phase, taking “three wickets in four balls,” as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 132 with Kemp ending on 4/21.
Ahead of the match, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was noted as having missed much of the build-up with a calf injury and was “not bowl[ing] in the early stages of the tournament,” though her presence at No3 was framed as adding “authority and class” for England.
England opened their 2026 Women's T20 World Cup campaign with a demolition job at Edgbaston, crushing Sri Lanka by 87 runs on Friday. Danni Wyatt-Hodge struck an unbeaten 105 off 62 balls to power England to 219 for 1 — the highest total in Women's T20 World Cup history — before Freya Kemp tore through Sri Lanka's batting to bowl them out for 132. The Guardian called it a 'rout.'
The win puts England at the top of Group 2 with a massive run-rate advantage heading into their next game against Ireland. More than 14,800 fans packed Edgbaston to watch the hosts send an early warning to every other team in the tournament.
Wyatt-Hodge's Century Rewrites the Record Books
Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones walked out to open and never looked back. The pair put on 135 runs together — the biggest opening stand England have ever made at a T20 World Cup. England reached 51 without loss by the end of the Powerplay, according to Olympics.com, then kept accelerating. Wyatt-Hodge hit the penultimate ball of the innings for a boundary to reach her hundred, then drove the final ball for four to close the over.
Her 105 off 62 balls — with 13 fours and one six — was only the seventh century in Women's T20 World Cup history and just the second by an English batter, Sports Yahoo reported. It was her maiden World Cup hundred. England's 219 for 1 broke their own tournament record of 213 for 5, set against Pakistan in 2023. The final over alone produced 26 runs, per The Guardian.
Sri Lanka Dropped Jones Twice and Paid the Price
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu won the toss and chose to field, hoping to exploit early evening conditions. It backfired almost immediately. Amy Jones was dropped on 12, and then again on 48, according to Sports Yahoo. Both dropped chances let England press on without fear during the middle overs.
Jones eventually made 53 off 38 balls before mistiming a shot off Malki Madara in the 14th over, giving Athapaththu a simple catch at mid-off. By then the damage was done. Nat Sciver-Brunt came in at No. 3 and finished with 46 not out off just 22 balls. The England captain praised her openers after the match: "Danni and Amy looked so composed and built a huge platform for us to explode from there," she told The Guardian.
Kemp Takes Three in Four Balls to Seal the Rout
Sri Lanka never threatened the 220 target. They lost three wickets inside the Powerplay, slumping to 37 for 3, per Olympics.com. Freya Kemp then landed the knockout blow. She tore through the middle order with three wickets in four balls, pushing Sri Lanka to 92 for 8 and ending any slim hope of a comeback.
Kemp finished with 4 for 21 — career-best T20 international figures — as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 132 in the final over, according to Mansfield 103. Athapaththu was honest afterwards: "We lost our momentum in the powerplay, and we have to go back to the classroom and bounce back." Sri Lanka now face a near must-win match against New Zealand.
Sciver-Brunt's Fitness Remains England's Only Concern
England's win came with one small asterisk. Captain Sciver-Brunt, who broke Charlotte Edwards' England record to become her country's all-time leading T20 World Cup run-scorer with 784 career runs, is managing a torn calf. She will not bowl in the early stages of the tournament, V2 Radio noted. That limits England's bowling options against stronger opponents like India and Australia later in the group stage.
For now, England's dominance was hard to argue with. Wyatt-Hodge dedicated her century celebration — a baby-rocking gesture — to her daughter Daisy, born in May 2026. The 2026 Women's T20 World Cup is the first to feature 12 teams. With over 150,000 tickets already sold before the opener, England's home tournament is off to the loudest possible start.
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