Highlighting four startling facts about women's cricket on this Women's Day

On the eve of Women’s Day, here are four startling facts about women’s cricket and women cricketers that will completely clean bowl you.

#1 Belinda Clark is the first cricketer to score a double century in ODI

If I were to ask you who is the first cricketer to have scored a double century in One Day International Cricket, there is no doubt that the unanimous answer would be Sachin Tendulkar. The Little Master may have a gazillion cricketing records to his name but, contrary to popular belief, Tendulkar isn’t the first player to score 200 runs or more in a One-Day International.

Let’s go back in time and take a leaf out of the international women’s cricket. 13 years before the master blaster batsman reached this landmark, there was a lady, who had already achieved this feat. On 16^th December 1997, the then skipper of Australian women’s cricket team Belinda Clark had smashed an unbeaten 229 off just 155 balls against Denmark in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match that was played at MIG Ground, Mumbai to propel Australia to a mammoth 412 for 3 against Denmark. It was a brutal annihilation of an inexperienced attack, and Clark was just too hot to handle for the Denmark eves. The Australian team went on to win the match by a mammoth margin of 363 runs.

Belinda Jane Clark was born on 10^th September 1970 in the metropolitan area of New Castle in New South Wales, Australia. She is a former female Australian cricketer, who played international cricket from 1991 to 2005. In an international career that spanned for close to 15 years, Clark led the Australian women’s team to two World Cup victories (1997 and 2005) and one final (2000) after taking charge in 1994.

On 16 September 2005, Clark announced her retirement after playing in 118 one-day internationals and 15 Tests. She holds Australia's record for Test and ODI runs and also for ODI appearances.

Source: Cricketcountry

#2 Mithali Raj is the first Indian cricketer to score 2000 T20I runs

Mithali Raj's journey from dancing to the tunes of classical music to making the bowlers dance to her tunes has been a phenomenal one. For close to two decades, the Goddess of batting in India has enthralled the cricket enthusiasts, and in the process achieved many a milestone, the latest one being the highest run-getter in T20I for both men and women. In her career spanning 85 matches, the right hand bat has amassed 2283 runs at an average of 37.42, laced with 17 half centuries. Raj standing tall at 35 years of age is just like wine; she is getting better and and better with age.

Born in Rajasthan and playing her cricket for Hyderabad, Mithali is unequivocally a role model for the budding women cricketers. She is the epitome of grace and elegance, and has the ability to mesmerize the audience with her delightful batting. Reading a book before she goes out to bat keeps her calm and allows her to focus on her batting rather than be worried about the external elements. The former India's T20 captain has shown the world that the shortest format of the cricket is not just about power hitting but it a perfect blend of aggression and technical strokeplay.

Mithali's form in the on-going Women's World T20 is outstanding as she has already scored two consecutive half centuries winning the Player of the Match against Pakistan and Ireland. In her glorious international career, Raj has achieved almost everything but not the World Cup. She led her team  to two finals in 2005 and 2017 in the 50-over Women's World Cup but ended up as runners-up on both the instances. The Women's World T20 that is currently being played in the Caribbean is probably the best chance for Mithali to add yet another feather to her cap. India has won three out of three matches in the Group stage so far and has qualified for the semi-finals of the Women's World T20. The batting maestro will look to give her everything to clinch the World Cup.

 

Source: ESPN Cricinfo

#3 The first Cricket World Cup was played by women two years prior to men’s World Cup

The first ever Cricket World Cup was played by women in 1973, two years prior to the men’s World Cup that was played in 1975. The inaugural tournament was held at different venues across England in June-July 1973. England, New Zealand, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, International XI, and Young England were the teams that participated in the tournament. The matches were played in round robin format, and there were no knock-out games. England won the competition with 20 points and Australia secured the runner-up position with 17 points.

Source: Wikipedia

#4 Overarm cricket was introduced by a woman named Christina Willes

When you talk about any sport it is important to know a little amount of history behind that sport. Cricket is a game rich in history and all the cricket lovers in and outside India have no doubt about this. If you have read some history of cricket I am sure you must be certainly aware that the bowlers used to bowl underarm for quite some time. It was only in the early nineteenth century that the overarm cricket was introduced and the credit goes to none other than a woman named Christina Willes, who was the sister of Kent cricketer John Willes. Thanks to the voluminous skirts that the women wore back in those days, Christina was compelled to bowl overarm to her brother John when they were playing cricket in their garden. Thus was born overarm cricket, not by choice but by accident.

Source: The Guardian