England Women defeated Sri Lanka Women by 12 runs in the first T20I game and led the three-match series 1-0. Debutant Mahika Gaur and youngster Alice Capsey brilliantly contributed to securing a win for their team.
On a damp evening in Hove, England achieved an intense victory highlighted by the vibrant youth of their experimental team. Alice Capsey’s quick half-century and Mahika Gaur’s brilliant debut wicket were memorable moments. Despite a nail-biting 12-run triumph, England maintained control throughout the match, even after Duckworth-Lewis-Stern lowered Sri Lanka’s aim to 68 runs from six overs due to rain delays.
Alice Capsey matched her T20I best, notching up 51 runs from just 27 balls, which included five fours and three sixes. England’s score of 186 for 4 in 17 overs was fuelled by Danni Wyatt’s magnificent 48 from 30 balls, backed by spirited efforts from Freya Kemp and Heather Knight. Sri Lanka’s bowling squad struggled to contain England’s onslaught on the wet pitch.
Earlier in the match, Sri Lanka had decided to bowl first after a rain-delayed start, but the circumstances didn’t offer much assistance to their bowlers. Udeshika Prabodhani’s opening over yielded 12 runs, and England maintained a scoring pace of over 10 runs per over for the rest of the innings.
This set the stage for a record T20I chase for Sri Lanka, but rain returned to give a sense of uncertainty to the encounter. With only 3.1 overs bowled, 11 balls short of a result, the DLS estimates gave Sri Lanka a fighting chance, especially with their aggressive captain Chamari Athapaththu at the crease. However, the 17-year-old Mahika Gaur had other intentions, removing Athapaththu, and the challenge of getting 45 runs from 17 balls proved daunting for the foreigners.
In this series, the England team were without their key players including Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Sophie Ecclestone due to rest or injuries. Captain Heather Knight had described this series as an opportunity for the younger players to prove themselves. While Danni Wyatt, a well-known figure, established the batting performance that set the tone for the team.
