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A sensational century from Danni Wyatt-Hodge and quickfire knocks from Amy Jones and skipper Nat-Sciver Brunt helped the hosts England start their ICC Women's T20 World Cup bid with a thumping 87-run win over Sri Lanka at Birmingham on Saturday.
Put to bat first by Sri Lanka, England posted a massive 219/1 in their 20 overs, their highest total in women's T20Is. Danni stayed unbeaten at 105* in 62 balls, with 15 fours and a six. This was her third ton for England in women's T20Is. Also, Danni put a 135-run opening stand for the first wicket with wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones (53 in 38 balls, with four boundaries and a six), the highest for England in women's T20 WC. Sciver, the skipper, became the second English women's cricketer to reach 3,000 T20I runs with a quick 46* in 22 balls, with six fours and a six. Now, she has 3,006 runs in 138 matches and 132 innings at an average of 29.47 and a strike rate of almost 120, with 18 fifties and a best score of 82. Malki Madara (1/51) was the only SL bowler to get a wicket. In reply, SL skittled out for 132 runs in 20 overs. Harshitha Samarawickrama (29 in 18 balls) and Nilakshika Silva (39 in 33 balls) were the only ones to cross the 200-run mark. Freya Kemp (4/22) dismantled the Sri Lankan batting, with Sophie Ecclestone (2/27) and Charlie Dean (2/18 in three overs) playing a sensational supporting role. With her four-wicket haul, Freya became the third women's cricketer to get a four-fer on her T20 World Cup debut, joining her teammate Danni and former Indian bowler Diana David. (ANI)
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