It may seem like a fairy-tale at first, but it’s a modern-era reality that a women’s cricket team in Australia put an extraordinary total of 596 runs on the board after losing just 3 wickets in 50 overs. Thereafter, they left no stone unturned in mauling the opponents as they bowled them out within 25 in just 10.5 overs.
The historic incident occurred during a match between Northern Districts and Port Adelaide in the SACA PC Statewide Super Women’s 1st Grade match.
Four of Northern Districts batswomen - Tegan McPharlin, Sam Betts, Tabitha Saville and Darcie Brown – smashed centuries, maintaining a net run-rate of 12 rpo to pile a mammoth a total. Out the four eves, McPharlin remained the top scorer who played a knock of 130 runs off 80 balls. Betts and brown remained unbeaten on 124(71) & 117(84) respectively while Saville hammered a 56-ball 120.
Ironically, the number of sixes hit in Northern Districts innings was just 3 because the bulk of runs came in fours (64). In addition, they were helped with 88 extra runs including 75 wides conceded by Port Adelaide.
In reply, Adelaide were bundled up for 25 runs in just 10.5 overs, handing over a historic 571-run win to Northern Districts.
Post this run fest, McPharlin said, “It’s pretty unreal to make a total like that. At the time, we weren’t chasing any records or trying to set any benchmarks in that way. We were just playing cricket shots.”
Is this the highest-ever score in 50-over cricket?
No, this is still not the highest team total as the record total is believed to be 1/690, scored by Mpumalanga’s against Kei in a girl's under-19s match in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010/11.