BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — England launched its home Women's Twenty20 World Cup in style by crushing Sri Lanka by 87 runs at Edgbaston on Friday.
After making the highest total in tournament history — 219-1 — with 105 not out by opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge, England dismissed Sri Lanka for 132.
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England's Freya Kemp celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Harshitha Samarawickrama during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2 match at between England and Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, Friday, June 12, 2026. (Nigel French/PA via AP)
England's Nat Sciver-Brunt bats during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2 match between England and Sri Lanka, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, Friday June 12, 2026. (Nigel French/PA via AP)
England's Amy Jones bats during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2 match between England and Sri Lanka, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, Friday June 12, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge celebrates reaching her century during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2 match between England and Sri Lanka, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, Friday June 12, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Left-arm pacer Freya Kemp took a career-best 4-21 including three wickets in one over that reduced Sri Lanka to 92-8.
But it was England's record-setting batting that shone on a sunny evening in front of 14,865 fans.
Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones, who was pushed up the order to open, combined for 100 inside 10 overs. Jones was dropped on 12 and 48 and was out for 53 off 38 balls. But her's and Wyatt-Hodge's stand of 135 was England's highest opening partnership in T20 World Cup history.
Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, only just back from a torn calf in April, was dropped on 14. But her unbeaten 46 off 22 balls shot her past Charlotte Edwards, the former captain and current England coach, to be England's highest run-scorer in T20 World Cups. Sciver-Brunt has 784 and Edwards 768.
Sciver-Brunt gave Wyatt-Hodge, on 97, the last two balls of the innings. She immediately hit behind square to the boundary, reaching the seventh hundred in tournament history and the second by an Englishwoman.
She punched the air and made a baby-rocking celebration a la Brazil's Bebeto in the 1994 men's soccer World Cup. Wyatt-Hodge was only just back from maternity leave. Her wife gave birth to their first child on May 20.
“It was great fun out there,” Wyatt-Hodge said. “My century celebration was for my daughter Daisy. I hope TV got it.”
She also hit the last delivery for four, her 13th, to finish her third T20 century 105 not out from 62 balls.
If that wasn't enough, Wyatt-Hodge took a brilliant catch, running from deep square leg, over her shoulder with a dive to remove Sri Lanka’s biggest threat, captain Chamari Athapaththu, on 4 in the fourth over.
Wyatt-Hodge dropped her next two chances but neither caused any great harm.
On Saturday, it's Ireland vs. Scotland, Australia vs. South Africa, and defending champion New Zealand vs. West Indies.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
England's Freya Kemp celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Harshitha Samarawickrama during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2 match at between England and Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, Friday, June 12, 2026. (Nigel French/PA via AP)
England's Nat Sciver-Brunt bats during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2 match between England and Sri Lanka, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, Friday June 12, 2026. (Nigel French/PA via AP)
England's Amy Jones bats during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2 match between England and Sri Lanka, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, Friday June 12, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge celebrates reaching her century during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2 match between England and Sri Lanka, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, Friday June 12, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Folarin Balogun scored twice in the Americans' historic three-goal first half, and the U.S. opened its first home World Cup in 32 years with its biggest win in the tournament, a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night.
Christian Pulisic had an assist in a stellar first-half playmaking performance for the Americans, who enthralled their Southern California fans with an aggressive attack while streaking to a 3-0 halftime lead — the team's largest in any World Cup game.
Gio Reyna ripped another goal in the dying moments of second-half injury time, giving the Americans four goals in a World Cup match for the first time.
The U.S. scored only three goals combined in its four matches at the Qatar World Cup four years ago, and it had never scored more than three in a World Cup match. But the Americans were a team transformed while playing in new coach Mauricio Pochettino's more creative system in front of a passionate, star-studded Los Angeles crowd of 70,492.
Pulisic was replaced by Sebastian Berhalter at halftime for precautionary reasons after he was kicked in the back of his left calf and felt some subsequent tightness.
“Staying positive,” Pulisic said. “I don’t think it’s anything.”
Maurício scored in the second half for Paraguay, but La Albirroja fell too far behind early in their first World Cup match in 16 years.
After the U.S. went ahead on an early own-goal created by Pulisic's playmaking, Balogun scored in the 31st minute and again in the fifth minute of first-half injury time.
The New York-born, London-raised striker made his World Cup debut with the first multigoal performance from a U.S. player in the tournament since 1930. Balogun chose to represent the U.S. three years ago instead of staying in the English system, where he likely would have struggled to make the Three Lions' roster — and the 24-year-old Monaco professional has swiftly provided the top-level striker play historically lacking on U.S. rosters.
Pulisic created the first two U.S. goals with exceptional runs down the left side. In the seventh minute, the AC Milan standout cleverly split two defenders and passed to Weston McKennie, whose centering touch hit Paraguay midfielder Damián Bobadilla’s outstretched foot and went in, setting off pandemonium in the SoFi Stadium stands.
The Americans gradually amplified their attack centered around Pulisic’s runs — and three minutes after an apparent goal from Balogun was erased by an offside call, Pulisic again drove the left side and got a deflected pass to the trailing Balogun, who banged it home.
With first-half injury time winding down, Malik Tillman weighted a long pass to a streaking Balogun, who held up to create space and fired a brilliant shot into the far top corner.
The Americans were less cohesive without Pulisic in the second half, but Reyna still added the finishing touch by gliding into the box and toe-flicking home his first World Cup goal. The moment was sweet for Reyna, who barely played at the Qatar World Cup amid a messy family dispute with former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter.
Dozens of American celebrities and cultural icons turned out for the match 10 miles south of Hollywood, including Tom Cruise, George Lucas, Bill Gates, Halle Berry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
Paraguay's Miguel Almiron reacts after the United States scored a third goal during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
United States' Folarin Balogun (20) celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Paraguay during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
United States' Folarin Balogun scores his side's second goal against Paraguay during a World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Marcio J. Sanchez)
United States celebrates after an own goal by Paraguay's Damian Bobadilla during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Paraguay's Miguel Almiron, right, and United States' Sergino Dest battle for the ball during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
United States' Folarin Balogun (20) celebrates scoring his side's third goal against Paraguay with teamates during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino smiles during a press conference ahead of his FIFA World Cup match against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
United States fans cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
A United States fan cheers prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
