England make history by powering to 250
Hosts eclipse record set earlier by New Zealand Beaumont smashes 116 for Knight’s side
At Taunton
England (250-3) beat South Africa (129-6) by 121 runs
Tammy Beaumont smashed a brilliant 116 as England set a record for the highest women’s international Twenty20 score on their way to a 121-run win over South Africa at Taunton yesterday.
Just 24 hours after England’s men had shattered their own world record for a one-day innings, their female counterparts grabbed their own slice of history.
They piled up 250 for three to overhaul New Zealand’s 216 for one, which had only been set in the morning on the same ground against the same opponents in this tri-nation international series.
It was also the biggest winning margin by runs in women’s T20 international cricket history.
Beaumont brought up three figures in just 47 balls and struck 18 fours and four sixes before she was caught and bowled by Stacey Lackay to end her 52-ball knock that was her third consecutive ton in all formats. She also equalled the record of 22 boundaries in a T20 innings, set by Australia’s Meg Lanning.
It was the second-fastest T20 international century – only bettered by the West Indies’ Deandra Dottin bringing up a hundred in 38 balls eight years ago. Lackay finished with figures of two for 59 from four overs, the most expensive bowling figures in T20 internationals.
Beaumont said: “I had a bit of a minute yesterday with our batting and assistant coach Ali Maiden saying I don’t start quickly enough in T20 cricket, so to get my first hundred is pretty pleasing! It’s always nice to start with Dani Wyatt; she starts so quickly I can play myself in for a bit. We get on really well.
“It’s an incredible wicket here and I feel a bit sorry for the South African girls having to bowl twice in one day, but we all have that at some stage in this tri-series. The standard of women’s cricket is going through the roof.”
Danni Wyatt (56) helped Beaumont put on 147 for the opening wicket and, after Beaumont’s dismissal, Katherine Brunt was promoted up the order and responded by striking a scintillating unbeaten 42 from just 16 balls.
South Africa lost Laura Wolvaardt early and the dangerous Lizelle Lee fell for just 19, and they never recovered. Captain Dane van Niekerk struck eight fours and three sixes in a 51-ball 72, but they were always well behind the run-rate. Brunt and Danielle Hazell had two wickets each for England and opening bowler Anya Shrubsole went for just eight runs from her four overs.
Heather Knight, the England captain, said: “Tammy’s worked a lot technically, we’ve seen some different hundreds from her and it was just clean striking today. We want to push each other as a unit, the academy girls underneath are pushing hard and that’s what you want as a side.
“We want to be clear going into the World T20 what our best team and our plans are, and this was close to a perfect performance.”
It had been a miserable day for South Africa, and Niekerk said: “We got a proper hiding from both teams today. I can’t fault the batters, but our bowling is an area of concern, we’re all over the place at the moment. Tammy batted brilliantly again.”
England now move on to a double-header against South Africa and New Zealand back at Taunton on Saturday.