England vs Sri Lanka Highlights, ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Danni Wyatt-Hodge Slams Stunning 105, England Seal Huge Win

We are back for the chase! The umpires are back out in the middle, and the players of England Women wait patiently near the boundary ropes before taking to the field as well. It will be the duo of Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunarathne to open the innings for Sri Lanka Women. Lauren Bell will get things underway with the ball. Let's go...

... The Run Chase ...

Mission impossible? With 220 needed to win, Sri Lanka Women will have to shatter more than a few records of their own, and their skipper Chamari Athapaththu will yet again be vital. For England Women, Lauren Bell will be key up top, but their spinners through the middle are serial wicket-takers and they will look to make life very difficult for the opposition batters. It could turn out to be an action-packed chase, so stay tuned.

The pressure of the big stage - Sri Lanka Women came into the tournament with a fairly inexperienced team, filled with youth and energy, but the pressure has certainly gotten to them. The bowlers were too full to begin with, and then a few dropped catches completely deflated their morale. The pacers bowled well for most of the game, but those 26 runs given away by Malki Madara in the final over might have really dealt a hefty blow to their mentality.

Wyatt-Hodge makes history - England Women have come under scrutiny in the last couple of years, given their performances in the big tournaments, but the hard work put in of late seems to be paying off. Danni Wyatt-Hodge has just smashed an unbeaten 105, only the second English woman to score a T20 World Cup century. She was well-supported by Amy Jones, who got a couple of lives, but still managed to score a half century. Towards the end, Nat Sciver-Brunt yet again showed why she is one of the world's most premier batters, with a rollicking unbeaten 46 off just 22 balls.

Statement from the hosts - Wow, that was astonishing! England Women kick off a home T20 World Cup with the highest score in the history of the competition, piling on 219 runs for fun. Sri Lanka Women have an absolutely huge mountain to climb here.

FOUR! Not timed that well, but gets it away! A statement batting display by the hosts in the curtain raiser as England Women finish at 219/1. This is full and around the off stump line. Danni Wyatt-Hodge gets under it nicely and lofts it. Does not time it off the middle but gets enough bat to clear the inner ring and finish off with a boundary at long off. 26 runs off the final over. A pretty impressive start for the hosts in their home World Cup.

WIDE! Miles outside off, on a length. This is left alone by Danni. Wide called. 22 runs off the final over with a ball to go.

FOUR! CENTURY FOR WYATT-HODGE! A sensational knock from one of England's greats. That's her third T20I hundred and the first in T20 World Cups. She has taken 61 balls to get to a World Cup century that will be remembered for a long, long time to come. The Edgbaston crowd erupts to acknowledge this wonderful and fluent knock from Wyatt-Hodge. On a length and at the stumps. She shuffles across to the off side and drags it away behind square leg for four runs. Repeats the cradle celebration and soaks in the applause from a boisterous crowd. A clinical knock, to say the least.

Full on the leg stump. Nat sits across and slogs it over backward square leg for a single.

SIX! All class! 3000 T20I runs for Nat Sciver-Brunt. A massive milestone for the English captain. On a length and outside off. Nat steps out and unfurls a lofted inside out drive over wide long off for a beautiful six.

WIDE! Misses her radar once again, full and way down leg. Nat goes for the sweep but misses out. This is proving to be a very lengthy over.

FOUR! 200 up for England Women! Yorker attempted in the channel outside off. Nat gets low, takes it on the full and smashes it to the right of long on.

Low full toss, on off, Nat Sciver-Brunt advances down the track and heaves it off the inner half to the widish long on region. They hustle back for the second run and the throw is a bit loose from the fielder. Add to their misery, it is a No Ball for overstepping.

WIDE! Wayward down leg, full in length. Nat Sciver-Brunt leaves it alone.

Slower one outside off, on a length, from over the wicket. Wyatt-Hodge heaves it towards square leg, where a diving stop keeps the ball inside the circle. Just the one taken, and she moves to 97*.

Malki Madara to bowl the final over of the innings. Can England Women get to 200 and then some? Let's find out. Also, Sri Lanka Women have been penalized for slow over rate. Only 3 fielders allowed outside the inner ring in the final over.

FOUR! Laced away beautifully! Back of a length and outside off. Nat Sciver-Brunt weighs on the back foot and crunches it through the covers for the third boundary off the over. 18 runs off the penultimate then.

WIDE! Tries to keep it far from the arc, but sprays it beyond the tramline. Sciver-Brunt reaches out by shuffling but misses. Wide called.

Short of a good length, on the leg stump line. Nat comes forward and pulls it to the left of deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.