The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup finally gets under way this evening, and it begins with a small tactical victory for Sri Lanka. Under clear skies at Edgbaston, Chamari Athapaththu called correctly and had no hesitation in sending England in.
Nat Sciver-Brunt, skipper once more after that troublesome calf, admitted she would have done the same. Still, she looked relaxed enough. Having struck an unruffled fifty in the mid-week warm-up against India, she slots straight in at first drop. “We’re really excited to create some new memories and enjoy ourselves,” Sciver-Brunt said at the toss.
England’s reshuffle sees Amy Jones promoted to open with Danni Wyatt-Hodge, while Sophia Dunkley sits out. Alice Capsey’s booming form earns her the No.4 berth, and the hosts have taken the expected three-spinner route: Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean and Linsey Smith surround seamer Lauren Bell, who will lead the new-ball effort.
Sri Lanka named their XI earlier in the afternoon – a practical move given the lack of last-minute tinkering in their camp. Malki Madara and Mithali Ayodhya make tournament debuts, and there is genuine excitement around teenage keeper Kaushini Nuthyangana. Athapaththu’s reasoning was straightforward. “We don’t know these conditions and yesterday it rained,” she explained. With fresh-looking pitch strips and evening dew a possibility, chasing felt the safer option.
The build-up had a touch of theatre: a short set from the West End smash, Wicked, including “Defying Gravity”. It was harmless fun, though most spectators seemed happier once the warm-ups began and the covers finally disappeared.
Briefly, the numbers. England have won eight of their last ten T20s against Sri Lanka, yet the visitors did snatch a notable series win last summer when Ecclestone was injured. The left-arm spinner is fit now, Capsey looks in good touch, and Jones has turned herself into a powerplay dasher. But Sri Lanka bring guileful finger spin and Athapaththu’s ability to clear any boundary, so an early upset cannot be ruled out.
Teams:
England – Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.
Sri Lanka – Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Imesha Dulani, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Malki Madara, Mithali Ayodhya.
First ball is due at 6.30 pm BST; the crowd is edging towards capacity, the sun is still out and, at last, a month of possibilities begins.
