Dottin scores first women’s T20 hundred

West Indies’ Deandra Dottin wrote herself into cricket’s record books by becoming the first women to score a century in a Twenty20 international on Wednesday.

The Barbadian made 112 against South Africa in the opening match of the women’s World Twenty20 at Warner Park in St Kitts and needed just 38 balls to reach the landmark in an innings featuring nine sixes and five fours. West Indies went on to beat South Africa by 17 runs. Dottin’s century was quicker than the correponding men’s Twenty20 record held by West Indies captain Chris Gayle, who also made a hundred in 50 balls also against South Africa in the opening match of ICC World Twenty20 in Johannesburg in 2007.

Her first fifty came in 25 balls and the second in a mere 13. Dottin’s sixth wicket partnership of 118 with Shanel Daley is also the highest in any male or female Twenty20 match beating the 77 set by Australia’s Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey in Auckland in 2005.

West Indies’ total of 175 for five was also the highest total by any women’s team in this format. Mean while South Africa’s chase, in which Shandre Fritz scored 58, was the second highest score by a side batting second in women’s Twenty20 cricket. Barbados, AFP