The England women’s team, hosts of the big current campaign in the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, got off to a great start, simply put a flier against Sri Lanka in the keenly awaited and widely followed World Cup opener that took place on June 12 at the famed Edgbaston in Birmingham. Not just the fact that England entered the contest as favourites, they contested in a mighty and close knit fashion to completely smother their opponents in a T20 contest that by the time it ended, had become a one way street pointing to the hosts all the way.

Leading the charge with the bat was the revered Danni-Wyatt Hodge who struck a meteoric and unstoppable 105 that came off just 62 odd deliveries. Doing simple school boy math suggests that the belligerent right handed batter took just a stay of 10.2 overs out there in the middle to smash her 3rd T20I century.  

Earning the plaudits and respect of those in attendance and the countless who followed the contest from around the world, Danni-Wyatt Hodge engaged in an enthralling exposition of boundary hitting, striking 13 boundaries and 1 six during her whirlwind century for England.

While the English captain Nat Sciver Brunt chipped in with a typically breezy knock of 46, it was the wicketkeeper batter Amy Jones who provided early impetus with the bat scoring 53 quickly struck runs. England lost their first wicket not before the 14th over was in the works and Sri Lanka had already appeared clueless in the grind against a team that seemed eager to appear all conquering.

Not that a lot changed at the end of the day. In reply while pursuing mighty demanding score of 220, only 4 Sri Lankan batters managed to enter double digit scores. Only Samarawickrama, Karunaratne, Dilhari and Nilashikha managed to get their names around some runs. Sri Lanka were able to amass only 132 runs and were bowled out in just the manner that their tormentors would have liked; England piling on the pressure thanks to a constant flurry of wickets that fell off to medium pace and spin.

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It ought to be said that the start to the weekend has been a really glorious one for the hosts England who’ve truly begun on a spectacular note. Each of their bowlers including Lauren Bell (the most economical bowler of the day), Linsey Smith, Charlotte Dean, Sophie Ecclestone and Freya Kemp- 4 for to her name- emerged with the wickets with the only exception being Danielle Gibson who emerged wicketless.

At the end of the day, getting their hands around a huge 87 run win by margin of runs is indeed a remarkable fashion in which to begin a World Cup campaign. Now that they’ve done so, England will be stepping onto the field for their next game with a spring in their steps. What do you reckon?