Women’s cricket has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years. The women’s cricketers have wowed the fans with their phenomenal batting, bowling and fielding skills. Later this year, the Indian women’s cricket team will play a historic pink-ball Test match against Australia Women. Also, the women’s cricketers have become a part of the cricketing leagues.
Australia has its own Women’s Big Bash League, while the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently introduced Women’s Hundred. The BCCI also conducted the Women’s T20 Challenge. Fans have been awaiting the women’s IPL announcement, but it seems there still some time before the tournament begins. Speaking of women’s cricket, the women’s game also has three formats at the international level – Tests, ODIs and T20Is. In this article today, we will look at the five women’s cricketers who have scored a century on ODI debut.
1. First among all women’s cricketers to score century on ODI debut – Lynne Thomas, 134
Former England batter Lynne Thomas was the first women’s cricketer to score a hundred on ODI debut. In the second ODI of the women’s game, Thomas opened the innings for England Women. The English team played against International XI at Hove.
Thomas opened the innings and scored 134 runs. Unfortunately, she got run out. Otherwise, she could have touched the 150-run mark. Thomas’ century helped the England women’s cricket team post 258 runs on the board in their 60 overs.
2. Enid Bakewell, 101*
In the same match, Lynne Thomas’ opening partner Enid Bakewell also accomplished the feat of scoring a century on WODI debut. Bakewell stitched up a magnificent opening stand of 246 runs with Lynne. Enid completed her century and remained unbeaten on 101*.
To date, Enid Bakewell and Lynne Thomas are the only England women’s cricketers to have scored a century on ODI debut. It happened in the year 1973. It will be interesting to see which England player joins the duo next on this list.
3. Reshma Gandhi, 104*
A bizarre coincidence happened in women’s cricket. In 1973, Enid Bakewell and Lynne Thomas became the first two batters to record a century on ODI debut in women’s cricket. In the next 25 years, no other batswoman could join them in the list. Then on June 26, 1999, two openers accomplished this feat again.
In a match between India Women and Ireland Women played at Milton Keynes, debutants Reshma Gandhi and Mithali Raj opened the innings for the Indian team. Wicket-keeper Gandhi scored a brilliant knock of 104 runs and remained unbeaten till the end.
4. Mithali Raj – 114*
As mentioned ahead, Mithali Raj also scored a century while making her ODI debut against the Ireland women’s cricket team. It was the start of a legendary career. Mithali made the perfect start to her ODI career by scoring a match-winning century.
Raj had an unbeaten 258-run opening partnership with her partner Reshma Gandhi. They scored 258 runs in 50 overs at a run rate of 5.16. In reply, Ireland scored 97/9 in their 50 overs. India Women beat Ireland Women by 161 runs in that match.
5. First among Australian women’s cricketers to score century on ODI debut – Nicole Bolton, 124
Nicole Bolton is the only women’s cricketer to score a century on ODI debut in the 21st century. Bolton made her debut for Australia Women in a match against England Women at Melbourne. It was a day/night match played in 2014 and the home team batted first.
Debutant Bolton opened the innings with captain Meg Lanning. Although the skipper departed to the dressing room early, Bolton did not come under pressure. She kept scoring runs from one end and remained unbeaten till the 43rd over. She aggregated 124 runs off 152 balls before Nat Sciver rattled her stumps. Bolton’s innings comprised 12 fours. She won the Player of the Match award as Australia beat England by 26 runs.
