Fifty for Jonespublished at 12 overs

12 overs

Amy Jones, with a nudge down the ground, brings up her half-century off 34 balls.

Alex Hartley
Former England bowler on Test Match Special

They're starting to have some fun out there. They've built a platform, they've got that partnership and now they're starting to step outside the off stump, carve the ball through the covers, step right outside, sweep the ball into the leg side. It wouldn't surprise me if we saw a couple of reverse sweeps from Amy Jones.

Jones dropped on 48published at 11.3 overs

11.3 overs

Amy Jones up down the pitch to Sugandika Dasanayaka and imperiously drives her through the covers for four.

Confidence flowing now.

However, Sri Lanka are not helping themselves here.

Dasanayaka is given a dolly of caught-and-bowled chance but juggles and spills it.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who celebrated her half-century with a cradle-rocking celebration, and Amy Jones cleverly farm the strike for the rest of the over.

Alex Hartley
Former England bowler on Test Match Special

Image source, PA Media

The Hollies stand is absolutely heaving. It's so good to see so many people in for the opening game.

Eng 108-0published at 10.2 overs

10.2 overs

England are on the march here.

England going a bit more aggressive to Nilakshika Silva and Amy Jones slog sweeps the seamer for six!

Alex Hartley
Former England bowler on Test Match Special

That was a brilliant shot from Wyatt-Hogde going deep in her crease looking to pull the ball, just at the last minute, she pulls it straight over mid on rather than into the leg side.

Eng 100-0published at 9.5 overs

9.5 overs

Bosh. Danni Wyatt-Hodge rocks back and hammers Chamari Athapaththu for six over long-on.

England are motoring here.

First maximum of the tournament.

Fifty for Wyatt-Hodgepublished at 9.2 overs

9.2 overs

Danni Wyatt-Hodge brings up her with a biff over cover for four off Chamari Athapaththu.

Alex Hartley
Former England bowler on Test Match Special

Really nicely bowled over. Sri Lanka need to keep building the pressure and dot balls.

Katherine Sciver-Brunt
Ex-England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

It's a tough one for me to say about Amy Jones up to open, because Sophia Dunkley's such a good friend. I can see how sad she is. You want to be walking on and feeling those feelings you get when you play in something like this. I'm really sad for her.

Sri Lanka bring wicketkeeper Kaushini Nuthyangana up to the stumps to Nilakshika Silva in a bid to stymie the run-rate.

It does the trick with neither Danni Wyatt-Hodge nor Amy Jones able to find the boundary.

Four singles off it as Silva bowls tightly to the stumps.

Alex Hartley
Former England bowler on Test Match Special

Image source, Reuters

The margin for error is so small against Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

The worst thing that can happen as a fielder for Imesha Dulani. You've dropped one, you've let one spin past you and the captain's moved you.

Kavisha Dilhari into the attack but Danni Wyatt-Hodge looks to dominate her early with an emphatic thump through point for four.

The England opener follows it up with some powerful sweeps and slogs to the leg side.

However, the Sri Lankan spinner is not helped by her fielders. Imesha Dulani with shocker on the fence as she over runs and is wrong footed.

Dulani fumbled on the boundary earlier to Amy Jones.

Katherine Sciver-Brunt
Ex-England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, PA Media

It's a good start. The nerves will be 30% less than they were before. I still think they feel there's a bit of rust to work off.

I was literally just going to say Amy's going to be eyeing up her favourite part of the pitch which is between cow and long on. Her and Nat play that area so well. That was guided perfectly off the sweep. This is the time where they can take more risks.

Amy Jones looks commanding on the slog sweep and she quickly picks up the length to clinically dispatch Sugandika Dasanayaka to the boundary for four.

Having thrown Dasanayaka off her lengths, Jones biffs a free hit off spinner down the ground for four.

England well set to post an imposing total here.

Srinivas Vijaykumar
CricViz analyst

Image source, PA Media

England coming into this T20 World Cup have relatively struggled in the powerplay, scoring at 7.08 runs per over in the six T20Is in 2026. A consistent year-by-year drop in their powerplay run-rate from 7.60 rpo in 2025, 7.71 rpo in 2024, 8.15 rpo in 2023.

England's 51-0 is the first time they've not lost a powerplay wicket in the seven T20Is this year, and just shy off the 53-1 they managed in the opening phase in their last T20I in Taunton. Hopefully good signs of kickstarting their batting prowess in the powerplay.

Katherine Sciver-Brunt
Ex-England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

I would like to see a bit more aggression from Amy Jones. I would love to see her be more confident to smack that over extra cover.

TV commentators saying Mithali Ayodhya releasing from just 1.3m and she's proving difficult to get away.

England will have doubtless done some prep with the sidearm - aka the dog stick - but it will be different out in the middle.

Ayodhya has 0-14 from her two overs.

England are already motoring ahead on the WinViz metric.

Image source, Cricviz