Danni Wyatt-Hodge blazed an unbeaten 105 off 62 balls to power England to 219/1 in 20 overs against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Friday, 13 June. The total is the highest innings score in the tournament's history, surpassing England's own previous record of 213/5 set against Pakistan in 2023.

Record-Breaking Opening Stand

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu won the toss and opted to field, but England's openers made her regret the decision immediately. Amy Jones and Wyatt-Hodge combined for a 135-run opening partnership, laying the platform for the historic total. England moved to 51/0 in the Powerplay before the boundaries began to flow freely, with the pair also rotating the strike smartly to maintain relentless pressure.

Wyatt-Hodge's Historic Knock

Wyatt-Hodge's century was the first hundred of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, the seventh in the tournament's history, and only the second by an Englishwoman. It was also her first T20 World Cup century. She reached the milestone with a sweep for four and closed out the innings with another boundary off the final delivery, finishing with 13 fours and one six. England plundered 26 runs off the last over alone — itself a tournament record — as Wyatt-Hodge carried her bat throughout the innings.

Notably, the knock came days after a personal milestone: her partner Georgie gave birth to their first child on 20 May, making this century a deeply personal triumph as well.

Jones and Sciver-Brunt Add Firepower

Jones, who was dropped on 12 and again on 48, held her composure to register her seventh T20I half-century, scoring 53 off 38 balls. She was eventually dismissed in the 14th over, mistiming a delivery from Malki Madara and spooning a catch to Athapaththu at mid-off. After Jones's departure, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt joined Wyatt-Hodge in an unbroken 84-run second-wicket stand, contributing a blistering 46 not out off 22 balls, laced with six fours and one six.

Sri Lanka's Struggles in the Field

Sri Lanka were unable to find consistent lines and lengths with the ball, and their fielding was uncharacteristically sloppy — a combination that allowed England to push the total well beyond the previous record. The dropped catches off Jones proved particularly costly, as she went on to anchor the opening stand.

Tournament Context

England entered the fixture on the back of a five-run warm-up win over India, while Sri Lanka had won both their preparatory matches against the Netherlands and Pakistan. Despite Sri Lanka's clean pre-tournament record, England's batting display on the opening day sent an emphatic statement of intent to the rest of the field. All eyes will now be on how Sri Lanka respond with the bat in their chase of a daunting record target.