LONDON (BBC): Tammy Beaumont crashed the first century in The Hundred women’s competition with a spectacular 118 in Welsh Fire’s win against Trent Rockets.
The England batter was dropped on 32 and overturned being given out lbw on 75 but otherwise dominated, hitting 20 fours and two sixes in her 61 balls.
Her score is the best in either the men’s or women’s Hundred and the Fire’s 181-3 is also a women’s record. Rockets made a decent fist of the chase but ended on 140-5 to lose by 41 runs. “I don’t know what just happened to be honest,” Fire captain Beaumont told Sky Sports. “I just had an absolute day out. It was great to put on a show for the fans.”
She has not played a T20 for England since January 2022, having been dropped for more attacking batters, but reached her fifty from 25 balls and three figures from 52. The 32-year-old right-hander played brilliantly through the off side, including striking four fours in succession off debutant seamer Cassidy McCarthy, while also hitting off-spinner Bryony Smith over long-on for her two sixes. After putting on 81 with Sophia Dunkley and exactly 100 with Sarah Bryce, who made 31 not out, Beaumont was finally caught off the penultimate ball at deep square leg by Joanne Gardner, who put down a straightforward chance to remove Beaumont in the same position earlier on.
“It is amazing,” said Beaumont, who was congratulated by every Rockets player and given a standing ovation by the Cardiff crowd. “I am not thinking about individual records when I’m out there, I am thinking about doing the best for the team. It was a good innings.” England begin a three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka on 31 August.
