New Zealand captain Sophie Devine reaches fastest century in women’s T20 history | Cricket News

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine hit the fastest century in women’s Twenty20 history on Thursday, taking just 36 balls to reach 100 in a domestic match in Dunedin. Devine tore through Otago Sparks’ bowling offense, hitting nine sixes and seven fours to set up a 10-wicket win for his Wellington Blaze team. She then capped her innings with two fours to finish with 108 unbeaten on 38 balls. The innings beat the 38-ball effort of former record holder Deandra Dottin for the West Indies in South Africa in 2010.

It was also the fastest ever scored by a player on New Zealand soil and has only been improved nine times by male cricketers around the world.

The feat was all the more remarkable as it was Devine’s first game since she ended her Covid-19 quarantine four days ago after a stint with the Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Australian Bash League.

“I was really nervous this morning, whenever you have a long break away from the game you get nervous whether you can come back to it,” she said.

“So it was nice to spend time in the middle.”

Devine’s feat came when New Zealand Cricket announced that the women’s teams from England and Australia will be touring in the coming months.

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England will face New Zealand in three T20s and three one-day internationals between February 23 and March 7, with the Australians playing a similar fixture list from March 28 to April 10.

Both teams will undergo 14 days of mandatory isolation after arriving in New Zealand.