Cricket is majorly about maintaining a good form and the runs score i.e., the number of half-centuries, centuries achieved. If you are not in the best of it, struggling to contribute, a sense of worry arises with increasing criticism from the so-called cricketing experts, the millions of fans. On the other hand, if you are exceptionally good at it, the praise you receive is a very special one and as you progress hitting the crucial runs for the team, you are regarded as one of the greatest players.
Every half-century/century you make is worth applause but when it comes in consecutive innings it is a matter of great pride.
Let’s look at some special consecutive fifties by talented women of cricket.
1. Mithali Raj:
At the top of the list is the legend from India, the leading run-scorer in women ODIs, Mithali Raj with seven consecutive half-centuries scored in 2017. The first three of which came during the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in February that year with scores of 70 not out, 64 and 73 not out. Her performance not only led India to the main tournament but into the Finals of the Cup where the host England went on to be the champions at the Lords. Just a month before the World Cup, in May 2017, Raj got three more half-centuries during the Women’s Quadrangular Series in South Africa where she ended up with scores of 51 not out, 54 and 62 not out. The last of the consecutive seven was in the World Cup itself against the host England where she made 71. Her streak, which could have seen eight consecutive half-centuries as she fell just four runs short of it, was broken by the Windies Hayley Matthews.
2. Lindsay Reeler
Following Mithali, there are three women who have made six consecutive half-centuries namely – Australia’s Lindsay Reeler in 1987/88, Charlotte Edwards from England in 2013, and another Australian Ellyse Perry in 2014.
The first Australian woman to 1000 ODI runs, Lindsay Reeler had a short but great international cricket career that lasted for four years (1984-1988) with her last appearance in the Finals of the 1988 Women’s Cricket World Cup. Her six consecutive half-centuries were recorded in 1987-88 with the first one coming in January that year with the score of 73 against New Zealand in Perth. The next four were recorded during Australia’s tour to England where she scored 83 and 84 against Ireland, followed by 69 and 60 against England in June-July. The last of the six was the best one for her as she went on scoring an unbeaten 143 against the Netherlands during the Shell Bicentennial Women’s World Cup in November 1988.
3. Charlotte Edwards
A well-known face of England Cricket, Charlotte Edwards was the first female to 1000 runs, as well as 50 wickets and even 50 catches in women’s ODI. Her six consecutive half-centuries started during the 2013 ICC Women’s World Cup held in India where she scored 54 against New Zealand in their Super Six match and then an unbeaten 106 in the 3rd place playoff against the same team. She continued the form against Pakistan in July scoring 83 and 62 in the two ODIs played and then again during Australia’s tour to the country in August where she made 61 and 53 but failed to continue in further after falling for just 8 runs in the third ODI against the Aussies.
4. Ellyse Perry
A name you would have often heard when talking about the success of Australian women’s cricket is of the all-rounder Ellyse Perry. Perry, who became the most capped Australian female player just last month, has recorded 28 fifties in ODIs till now with six consecutive in 2014 being her highest number of half-centuries together. Starting with the 3rd ODI of the Ashes in January that year with a score of an unbeaten 90 followed by 53, 72, unbeaten 64, and 74 in the four ODIs against West Indies in the month of November. What started with Ashes, saw the last during the same in July 2015 when Perry made 78 in the first ODI but got two runs short of equalling it with the only one with seven consecutive fifties, Raj.
The list does not end here as we have a good number of women with 5/4/3 consecutive ODI half-centuries and the count keeps on rising.
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