OTD | Birth of first double centurion in ODI and ambassador of women’s cricket

Former Australia Women’s Cricket Team captain, Belinda Clark celebrates her birthday on September 10. She is only the second woman cricketer to register her name in the ICC Hall of Fame. She has played cricket for her national side for almost 14 years from 1991 to 2005. The cricketer scored a total of 5,767 runs, at an average of 45.95 in ODI’s and 47.49 in Tests.

On December 16, 1997, the two-time World Cup-winning captain recorded a double-century for herself while playing for her national side against Denmark at the MIG Ground, Mumbai, during the Women’s World Cup. She played a marvelous unbeaten innings of 229 runs from just 155 balls with 22 fours in her innings. 

She became the first women cricketer to score a double-hundred. With the help of her brilliant innings, Australia scored a mammoth total of 412-3 in 50 overs. In this match, she was involved in two century partnerships. One with Lisa Keightley who slammed 60 runs in the match and the other with Karen Rolton who smashed 64 runs in the encounter. 

Clark’s innings in the World Cup in Mumbai proved to be one of the best of her career. This a world record and it is yet to be broken in the history of cricket. The 1997 World Cup was a World Cup to remember for the 53-year-old as she took her side to the World Cup triumph. Australia locked horns with New Zealand where Clarke scored an important 52 runs in the match. 

The former right-hand batter won the Wisden Australia Cricketer of the Year in 1998 and was inducted into the Cricket Hall of Fame in 2011. She was also made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2000 for her service to cricket, particularly through the Australian Women’s Cricket Team, and to the advancement of women’s cricket.” and development of the game for women and girls.” Clark was also the CEO of Women’s Cricket Australia.