Dubai, 12 February 2009
Huge scores, wonderful bowling and nail-biting finishes – over the years the Women’s World Cup has served up some of the most exciting cricket played anywhere and next month’s event shows no sign of bucking that trend.
In a 1997 World Cup match in Mumbai, Belinda Clark stroked a record 229 not out against Denmark to help Australia post a colossal 412-3 (the highest score in Women’s World Cup history) that set up a 363-run victory. Clark’s 155-ball innings was studded with 22 boundaries and during the 181-minute knock, she was involved in two century partnerships – 168 for the opening wicket with Lisa Keightley (60) and then 136 runs for the second wicket with Karen Rolton (64).
While Clark went down in the annals of history as the highest individual scorer, Denmark’s Malene Brock, Mette Gregersen, Susanne Neilsen and Dorte Christiansen went into World Cup record books as the most expensive bowlers. Brock finished with figures of 10-0-72-0, Gregersen 10-0-72-0, Neilsen had figures of 10-0-77-1 while Christiansen finished with 10-1-77-2.
However, Pakistan’s Shaiza Khan remains the only bowler in women’s cricket history to concede more than 100 runs in an ODI. She had figures of 10-0-111-1 against Australia at Melbourne in February 1997 when the home team scored 397-4 and then sent the tourists packing for 23.
Clark’s 229 not out in Mumbai may be her only World Cup century but her consistency with the bat makes her the most successful Australia batter in World Cups with 1,151 runs from 29 matches at an average of 60.57.
While Clark was scoring her double century, some miles away in Pune current England captain Charlotte Edwards, a day before her 18th birthday, slammed an attractive 173 not out against Ireland which is the World Cup’s second-highest individual score.
Edwards, opening the innings, faced 155 balls of which 19 were converted into fours. She featured in two century partnerships – 108 runs for the third wicket with Sue Metcalfe (29) and 131 runs for the unfinished fourth wicket with Jane Smit (50 not out), not to mention a 72-run first-wicket stand with Janette Brittin (37).
Edwards, who is the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year for 2008, is just 198 runs short of becoming the fourth batter to score 1,000 or more World Cup runs.
The third highest individual innings in World Cups came from current Australia captain Karen Rolton who scored 154 not out against Sri Lanka in her team’s 200-run victory in Christchurch in 2000. Rolton faced 118 balls and hit 19 fours.
Rolton is her country’s second most prolific World Cup scorer with 754 runs from 22 matches at 83.77.
New Zealand’s legendary Debbie Hockley, who played in record five World Cups along with Englishwoman Clare Taylor, leads the list of most successful batters. She scored 1,501 runs from 45 matches at little under 43. England’s Jannete Brittin is second on the list with 1,299 runs from 36 matches at 43.30, followed by Clark, Edwards and Rolton.
Bowlers have also enjoyed their moments of success as two hat-tricks have been recorded in World Cups – both in the 1993 event staged in England.
After opener Brittin scored 104 to help England post 286 against Denmark at the Recreation Ground, Banstead, off-spinner Carole Hodges dismissed Susanne Neilson, Pia Thomsen and Heidi Kjaer off successive balls to help bowl out the Danes for 47.
Nearly a week later at the Civil Service Sports Ground, Chiswick, New Zealand fast bowler Julie Harris trapped Eugena Gregg, Cherry-Ann Singh and Patricia Felician in front of the wickets off successful deliveries to help dismiss the West Indies for 96 runs. In that game, New Zealand achieved victory with seven wickets and more than 33 overs to spare.
Australia left-arm spinner Lyn Fullston is the most successful World Cup bowler. The South Australian, who sadly died in June at the age of 52, played in the 1982 and 1988 World Cups and took a total of 39 wickets, including 23 in the 1982 World Cup in New Zealand.
Carole Hodges, the England off-spinner, is second on the list of most successful bowlers with 37 wickets. In the 1982 World Cup, she took 12 scalps and then followed up with 14 wickets in Australia and another 11 wickets in England.
Hodges’s team-mate Clare Taylor is third with 36 wickets, followed by the Australia pair of Cathryn Fitzpatrick (33) and Sharon Tredrea (32), and the Indian trio of Diana Edulji (31), Purnima Rau and Neetu David (30 each).
Jackie Lord of New Zealand has produced the best bowling spell in the history of the Women’s World Cup when in a 1982 World Cup match in Christchurch she recorded figures of 8-2-10-6 as India, chasing 81 for victory, was dismissed for 37 in 35 overs.
Lord’s figures improved the record of compatriot Glenys Page who had registered figures of 6.2-0-20-6 against Trinidad & Tobago at Clarence Park, St Alban’s, England.
The most economical bowling analysis was recorded by New Zealand’s Catherine Campbell who had figures of 10-7-3-0 against the Netherlands in New Zealand in 2000.
Australia’s Raelee Thompson recorded the second most economical figures of 10-9-4-0 against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, in the 1982 World Cup.
Besides the individual performances, there have been three tied matches with England and New Zealand being involved in two matches each. At Auckland in the 1982 World Cup, England, chasing 148 for victory in 60 overs against New Zealand, was cruising nicely at 112-3 before it finished at 147-8.
Three weeks later in Christchurch, Australia collapsed from 148-4 to 167 all out to tie the match with New Zealand.
The third tied match was in Indore, India in the 1997 World Cup when host India, chasing 177 to beat New Zealand, lost seven wickets for 56 runs to be bowled out for 176 with five balls remaining.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE
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