England vs Sri Lanka Women T20 World Cup Preview & Tips - Sri Lanka's CWC campaign to start with defeat to England

Sri Lanka Women beat the Netherlands by seven wickets in their last match as they continued to collect wins, with this their seventh consecutive triumph. 

In their last outing, England battled to 171/7 as Amy Jones (64 from 45) starred with the bat. With England's batting unit under the spotlight, Jones and Nat Sciver-Brunt (57) were excellent, while Dani Gibson's cameo of 30 from 12 saw her go at 250.00 in a blistering innings. With the ball, England bowled India our for 166 as Linsey Smith returned figures of 3/42. All in all, England were excellent as they posted a strong score with the bat before defending a competitive total. 

Now, attention switches to beating a side they have lost their last two T20's against. They also have the added pressure of lifting the curtain on their own World Cup. While Sri Lanka will be out to spoil the party, England should be far too strong for their opponents. 

Victories over the West Indies twice, Bangladesh three times, Pakistan and the Netherlands means they have not lost a T20 game since their 15-run loss to India back on December 30, 2025. Their brilliant run means they arrive with the wind at their backs as they look to spring a major surprise at the competition. 

The major worry for Sri Lanka will be the quality of opposition they face in their opener in comparison to who they have played across their last seven. The pressure of helping to open a tournament will likely tell in this one, and I predict that Sri Lanka will struggle to contain England with bat and ball.