MEG Lanning broke her own record for the highest score in a Women’s Twenty20 international as Australia inflicted England’s biggest T20 defeat to clinch the Women’s Ashes series outright on Friday.
Captain Lanning hit 17 fours and seven sixes in her unbeaten 133 from 63 balls in Australia’s 226-3 at Chelmsford.
England were never in the hunt, making 133-9 for a record 93-run defeat.
It means Lanning’s side take an unassailable 10-2 lead on points in the multi-format Women’s Ashes series.
There are two more T20 games remaining, at Hove today and at Bristol next Wednesday, when Australia will fancy their chances of going unbeaten throughout the series, following last week’s drawn Test in Taunton.
Lanning’s innings topped her previous best of 126, which she made against Ireland in March 2014 and was then equalled by Sterre Kalis of the Netherlands against Germany last month.
The International Cricket Council’s decision last year to confer full T20 international status on all such matches between its members has rather skewed some of the record books – with an inexperienced Mali side conceding three of the four highest totals in women’s T20 cricket in the space of three days last month.
Though initially overshadowed by opener Beth Mooney, who made 54 from 33 balls in a second-wicket stand of 134, Lanning was soon unleashing her trademark cut shots, to which the increasingly ragged England bowlers and fielders had no answer.
The 27-year-old Aussie skipper gave one chance – which was put down by Tammy Beaumont at backward point in the 14th over when she had 85 – but was otherwise ruthless.
Lanning had missed the last Ashes series Down Under after having shoulder surgery, and had averaged 36 from her five visits to the crease so far in this one, but was back to her classy best at Chelmsford.
But Australia’s final total of 226 was the second highest in a match between top-tier opposition, surpassed only by England’s 250-3 against South Africa at Taunton last summer.
And Lanning’s innings can rightly lay claim to be one of the greatest of the modern women’s game. (BBC Sport)
