The world of women’s cricket has seen some extraordinary talents over the years, with several batters leaving an indelible mark on the game. Among these, five players stand out for their remarkable achievement of surpassing 3500 runs in One Day International (ODI) matches. This elite group consists of Belinda Clark, Meg Lanning, Smriti Mandhana, Karen Rolton, and Laura Wolvaardt. These exceptional cricketers have not only reached this significant milestone but have done so with a combination of skill, consistency, and determination that sets them apart in the international arena. Their success has helped make women’s cricket more popular and exciting to watch.
Belinda Clark – 75 innings
Belinda Clark is a legendary name in women’s cricket. She represented the Australian women’s team between 1991 and 2005 and holds an international record as the fastest player to score 3500 One Day International (ODI) runs in just 75 innings. She completed this incredible feat against Ireland during the Australia women tour of Ireland on 15 July 2001 in Dublin, where she scored an unbeatable 80 runs in 102 balls at a strike rate of 78.43.
She made her ODI international debut on 17 January 1991, against New Zealand during the New Zealand women tour of Australia in Hobart. She had an excellent career of 118 ODI matches, in which Clark scored a total of 4844 runs. Her highest score was an undefeated 229 runs against Denmark on 16 December, 199, during the Hero Honda Women’s World Cup in Mumbai. She was one of the greatest women’s cricket players ever to serve Australian Cricket.
Meg Lanning – 77 innings
Meg Lanning, also known as ‘The Megastar’, made her unique identity by breaking many records as a batter and as captain of the Australian women’s team. She is the second fastest player to complete the feat of 3500 One Day International runs in 77 innings. She completed this milestone against West Indies on 5 September 2019, during Australia’s tour of West Indies in Coolidge. In that match, Meg Lanning played a magical innings of 121 runs in 146 balls at a strike rate of 82.87, which helped Australia register a huge win over West Indies by 178 runs.
She made her ODI debut on 5 January 2011, against England during England women tour of Australia in Perth. She has played 103 ODI matches in which Lanning scored a total of 4602 runs. Her highest score was an unbeaten 152 runs which came against Sri Lanka on 29 June 2017, during the ICC Women’s World Cup in Bristol.
Smriti Mandhana – 85 innings
Smriti Mandhana is one of the key batters for the Indian women’s team, who showed exceptional performance recently in an ODI series against South Africa. She became the third fastest player to score 3500 One Day International runs in 85 innings. She completed this incredible feat against South Africa in the third ODI match during the South Africa women’s tour of India in Bengaluru on 23 July 2024. In that match, Mandhana scored 90 runs in 83 balls at a strike rate of 108.43 and managed to win the match by 6 wickets with 56 balls remaining.
She made her ODI debut on 10 April 2013, against Bangladesh during the Bangladesh women’s tour of India in Ahmedabad. She has played 84 ODI matches in which Mandhana scored a total of 3495 runs. Her highest score was 136 runs which came against South Africa on 19 June 2024, during the South Africa women’s tour of India.
Smriti Mandhana is now the 3rd Fastest overall to reach 3500 ODI Runs milestone. 😍
She is only behind the Australian legends Meg Lanning and Belinda Clark. 🫡 #CricketTwitter #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/K0h7GbS6kG
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 23, 2024
Karen Rolton – 86 innings
Karen Rolton was a key member of the Australian side for more than a decade and helped the team perform better under her captaincy. She became the fourth fastest player to score 3500 One Day International runs in 86 innings. She completed this incredible feat against England during the Australia women’s tour of England in Stratford-upon-Avon on 21 August 2005. In that match, Rolton managed to score only 15 runs, despite this England managed to win that match by 2 runs.
She made her ODI international debut on 14 February 1995, against New Zealand in Whanganui. She played 141 ODI matches in which Rolton scored a total of 4814 runs. Her highest score was an unbeaten 154 runs which came against Sri Lanka on 1 December 2000, during the Cricinfo Women’s World Cup. By this inning, England registered a huge win over Sri Lanka by 200 runs.
Laura Wolvaardt – 88 innings
Laura Wolvaardt is the current captain and one of the most dependable batters for the South Africa women’s team. She became the fifth fastest player to score 3500 One Day International runs in 88 innings. She completed this incredible feat against Bangladesh during the Bangladesh women’s tour of South Africa in Benoni on 23 December 2023. In that match, Wolvaardt scored 126 runs in 134 balls at a strike rate of 94.02 and managed to win the match by 216 runs.
She made her ODI debut on 7 February 2016, against England during the ICC Women’s Championship in Benoni. She has played 97 ODI matches in which Wolvaardt scored a total of 4087 runs. Her highest score was an unbeaten 184 runs which came against Sri Lanka on 17 April 2024, during the Sri Lanka women tour of South Africa. By this innings, South Africa registered an easy win over Sri Lanka by 6 wickets.