Indian women's team star opener Smriti Mandhana is doing wonders with the bat in England's cricket league: The Hundred. Smriti, who plays for Southern Braves in women's competition of the tournament, scored a quickfire 70 against Welsh Fire on Friday at The Rose Bowl Stadium in Southampton. During her innings, she hit 11 fours off 42 balls. Previously, in the opening match of the tournament, Smriti scored a half-century. By virtue of her latest fifty on Friday, Mandhana became the batter with most fifties in women's competition of The Hundred tournament. This was her 5th half-century in the tournament. Before this match, Smriti and India's Jemima Rodrigues both had four fifties in the tournament. Now Smriti has surpassed Jemima. England women's team's star batter Daniel Wyatt also has 4 half-centuries in The Hundred.
Smriti Mandhana creates history, becomes first player to score 500 runs in women's competition of The Hundred
With 5 fifties in her kitty, Smriti Mandhana has become the first female cricketer to score 500 runs in women's competition of The Hundred. She was also the highest run-scorer for the Southern Braves in the 2022 season of The Hundred with 211 runs. Mandhana had scored 167 runs in the 2021 edition of the tournament. So far in the 2023 edition of The Hundred, Smriti has scored 125 runs in just two matches.
Smriti Mandhana's blinder goes in vain!
Sadly, Mandana's fiery fifty (70 runs innings) went in vain as Southern Brave lost the match by four runs in the 100-ball tournament.
Batting first, Welsh scored 165 runs for 3 wickets with opener Hayley Mathews scoring the maximum 65 runs for her team. In reply, Southern Braves got off to a strong start. Smriti and Wyatt added 96 runs in just 58 balls for the first wicket. But after Wyatt's dismissal, none of the batters supported Smriti, who strongly held one end, remaining unbeaten till the end but her team lost the match by 4 runs.