A World Of Firsts
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 is just a few months away, and the Women in Blue are gearing up for what promises to be an exciting cricket tournament Down Under and the biggest women’s sporting event ever staged in Australia.We’re looking at some of the biggest firsts in cricket – that most people don’t know about! Starting with ICC’s vision to break the world record for attendance at a women’s sporting by having a high capacity crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on women’s day next year (March 8), to a lot of awe-inspiring centuries and stellar bowling spells led by women. So, until we get to cheer them on in Australia this February, let’s celebrate some of the most impressive landmarks in cricket – all of which were accomplished by women!
Cricket’s First World Cup
Eight international teams came together for the first men’s in 1975. But what few people know is that the first Women’s World Cup was played two years earlier, in 1973! There were seven teams competing, including an under-25s Young England team and an International XI made up of the best players from the rest of the world. Home team England took the cup in the tournament with a decisive win over Australia.
The First Double Century
Indian cricket fans undoubtedly remember Sachin Tendulkar’s epic double century against the Proteas in a 2008 tournament. But did you know that, in 1997, 11 years before the Master Blaster’s lauded innings, Australian cricketer Belinda J Clarke posted an amazing score of 229 not-out in a match against Denmark in Mumbai? Belinda was not just the first cricketer to score the first double century in a One-Day International; she also had the highest individual score of an unbeaten 229 off 145 balls for 17 years until Rohit Sharma’s 264 against Sri Lanka.
The Youngest Double Century
Ace Pakistani batsman Javed Miandad was only 19 when he scored a double century in a Test match against New Zealand – a statistic that leads most people to celebrate him as the youngest achiever of this feat in the cricket world. However, Kiwi cricketer, Amelia Kerr, at the tender age of 17, bettered that record in 2018, scoring an unbeaten 232 against the Irish Women’s team.
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The First 10 and 100
Doing exceptionally well with both the bat and the ball is a tough feat – but that’s just what Betty Wilson did! In 1958, this Australian cricketer was the first player in either the men’s or women’s version of the sport to bag a 10-wicket haul and score over a hundred runs in the same Test match. She is only one of five cricketers, male or female to have bagged this achievement – fellow Aussie, Alan Davidson, who is widely credited with the first 10 and 100 in a Test did so in 1960.
The first to 400
When Ricky Ponting’s Australia scored an incredible 434/4 against South Africa in 2006 – only to lose to the Proteas who managed to get to a whopping 438/9, it was celebrated as a landmark game in One-Day International cricket. However, it was the New Zealand’s women cricket team – known as the White Ferns – who first got to 400 runs in an ODI, tallying up 455 runs against Pakistan in a January 1997 match. Incidentally, the White Ferns have also posted the highest ever tally in a One-Day International in 2018, getting to an unbelievable 491 runs against Ireland.
Women’s cricket is full of many more incredible feats, like Jhulan Goswami’s amazing 10/78 bowling spell, Smriti Mandhana’s record of never having got out for a duck, and Mithali Raj’s impressive batting statistics (highest run scorer in the history of women’s cricket) – all of which make the women’s games just as much fun to watch as the men’s! And next year, the women are all set to lead the game in Australia where they will compete for the title of the best in the shortest format of the game. While there will be enough action to keep you hooked on-field, off-field boasts of some pretty amazing sights and sounds too.
Image Source: Getty Images
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This content was produced in partnership with Tourism Australia