Australia Captain Meg Lanning Becomes the Fastest Cricketer to Reach 13 ODI Hundreds

Australia captain Meg Lanning became the fastest player to reach 13 One Day International hundreds as Australia registered a thumping 178-run win over West Indies at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. Meg Lanning smashed 121 to take her side to 308 for 4 – their highest ODI total against the Windies. Her century included 12 boundaries and 4 sixes.

With this century, Lanning also became the fastest to score 13 centuries (both in men’s or women’s cricket), reaching the feat in just 76 innings and surpassed South Africa player Hashim Amla, who achieved the feat in 83 innings. Lanning, however, is already the leading century scorer in ODI. Although she is no the highest run-getter in ODI, it’s Mithali Raj who recently announced her retirement from the shortest format of the game.

However, not only Lanning but Alyssa Healy also scored a hundred and stitched a 225 run partnership with Lanning for the second wicket. This was, however, the second-highest partnership for any wicket for the Aussies. Lanning came to bat after Rachel Haynes was dismissed on the first ball of the innings by Shamilia Connell. Healy reached her century in 95 balls and scored 122 before falling to Afy Fletcher in the 39th over.

While chasing 309 to win, West Indies got off to a horrible start as Megan Schutt struck with the very first ball and dismissed Natasha McLean for a duck. West Indies were reduced to 8 for 3 in their first 2 overs of the chase after Ellyse Perry struck twice in the same over to dismiss Stacy-Ann King and Kyshona Knight for ducks.

Stafanie Taylor was the only batter to score a half-century. She scored an unbeaten 70 off 115. Apart from her, the only other West Indies player to reach the double digit was Chinelle Henry, who scored a 34-ball 14 runs. Perry ended up taking 3 wickets while Georgia Wareham picked two wickets for Australia. Alongside them, Megan Schutt, Nicola Carey, Tayla Vlaeminck and Ashleigh Gardner took one wicket each as West Indies were bundled out for 130 in 37.3 overs.