From Rachael Heyhoe Flint’s graceful stroke play in 1973 to Alyssa Healy’s breathtaking 170 in the 2022 final, the Women’s ODI World Cup has witnessed many iconic batting displays that have shaped the match results and crystallised the evolution of women’s cricket across the globe.
The Open Era (1973-1988): First Steps
The 1973 Women’s World Cup for women’s cricket, played before the men’s edition in ’75, represented the first time a World Cup had been staged. England’s DL Thomas and Enid Bakewell not only laid claim to the first hundred centuries but also highlighted the sheer brilliance of women’s cricket in the first World Cup and inspired a new generation of players. Moving into the 1980s, players like JA Brittin and LA Reeler were at the forefront of the next stage and were exhibiting a mixture of patience and an attacking approach to their batting.
The 1990s: Rise of Consistency and Class
In the 1990s, players were turning adorned starts into innings that defined the match. England once again had the upper hand courtesy of Brittin, Carole Hodges, and Barbara Daniels, while Debbie Hockley’s twin centuries for New Zealand had also made her a global sensation. Australia’s Belinda Clark changed the status quo when she scored a record 229* against Denmark in 1997, the first-ever double century in ODI cricket (men’s or women’s).
In 2000-2009: New Zealand and Australia commanded attention
The dynamic batters, who had spirited play at the time, ignited the scoreboard in the 2000s. The 154* played by Karen Rolton in 2000 is still recognised as one of the all-time great World Cup innings. Sarah Taylor and Haidee Tiffen were also elegant and poised under pressure.
2013–2017: India’s Golden Era and Global Power Balance
The 2013 and 2017 tournaments were turning points for India.
- Harmanpreet Kaur’s 171* not out against Australia (2017) was an instant classic.
- Smriti Mandhana’s fashionable centuries, alongside the consistent run-scoring of Mithali Raj, helped consolidate India’s rise and stature.
- In the same vein, England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt had her moment too. The number 3 batswoman scored multiple centuries and proved her mettle as one of modern world cricket’s finest all-rounders.
2022 – A Tournament of Records
The 2022 edition of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup (New Zealand) was nothing short of a batting festival.
- Alyssa Healy’s 170 runs in the final against England created a new standard of dominance.
- Nat Sciver-Brunt showed utmost character with her innings of 148 not out in the final.
- Suzie Bates, Meg Lanning, and Harmanpreet Kaur showed their brilliance, once again proving that women’s cricket is on an improved trajectory of professionalism.
Top Performers (by number of centuries)
- Charlotte Edwards (England) – 4 Centuries
- Suzie Bates (New Zealand) – 4 centuries
- Harmanpreet Kaur (India) – 3 Centuries
- Nat Sciver-Brunt (England) – 4 Centuries
- Meg Lanning (Australia) – 3 Centuries
Heritage
Each century in the Women’s ODI World Cup signifies another story of resilience, vision, and overcoming obstacles. From Dison to Bakewell and Healy’s contemporary feats, these innings recognise how far women’s cricket has come.
The game is heading towards the 2025 edition, and these records honour every female in the world to has either picked up a bat or dared to dream on a world stage.
Full List of Centuries in Women’s ODI World Cup (1973–2022)
| No. | Player | Runs | Inns | Team | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
| 1 | DL Thomas | 134 | 1 | England | Int’l Eleven | Hove | 23 Jun 1973 |
| 2 | E Bakewell | 101* | 1 | England | Int’l Eleven | Hove | 23 Jun 1973 |
| 3 | R Heyhoe-Flint | 114 | 1 | England | Young England | Ilford | 18 Jul 1973 |
| 4 | E Bakewell | 118 | 1 | England | Australia | Birmingham | 28 Jul 1973 |
| 5 | BL Bevege | 101 | 1 | New Zealand | Int’l Eleven | Auckland | 12 Jan 1982 |
| 6 | JA Brittin | 138* | 1 | England | Int’l Eleven | Hamilton | 14 Jan 1982 |
| 7 | LA Reeler | 143* | 1 | Australia | Netherlands | Perth | 29 Nov 1988 |
| 8 | R Buckstein | 100 | 1 | Australia | Netherlands | Perth | 29 Nov 1988 |
| 9 | NJ Turner | 114 | 1 | New Zealand | Netherlands | Sydney | 04 Dec 1988 |
| 10 | LA Reeler | 108* | 1 | Australia | New Zealand | Melbourne | 10 Dec 1988 |
| 11 | R Buckstein | 105* | 1 | Australia | Netherlands | Melbourne | 14 Dec 1988 |
| 12 | JA Brittin | 104 | 1 | England | Denmark | Banstead | 20 Jul 1993 |
| 13 | CA Hodges | 113 | 1 | England | Ireland | Reading | 24 Jul 1993 |
| 14 | HC Plimmer | 118 | 1 | England | Ireland | Reading | 24 Jul 1993 |
| 15 | JA Brittin | 100 | 1 | England | India | Finchampstead | 25 Jul 1993 |
| 16 | CA Hodges | 105* | 1 | England | Australia | Guildford | 26 Jul 1993 |
| 17 | JA Brittin | 138 | 1 | England | Pakistan | Vijayawada | 12 Dec 1997 |
| 18 | BA Daniels | 142* | 1 | England | Pakistan | Vijayawada | 12 Dec 1997 |
| 19 | DA Hockley | 100* | 1 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Chandigarh | 13 Dec 1997 |
| 20 | DA Hockley | 100 | 1 | New Zealand | West Indies | Chandigarh | 15 Dec 1997 |
| 21 | BJ Clark | 229* | 1 | Australia | Denmark | Mumbai | 16 Dec 1997 |
| 22 | CM Edwards | 173* | 1 | England | Ireland | Pune | 16 Dec 1997 |
| 23 | CM Edwards | 139* | 1 | England | Netherlands | Lincoln | 30 Nov 2000 |
| 24 | KL Rolton | 154* | 1 | Australia | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 01 Dec 2000 |
| 25 | EC Drumm | 108* | 1 | New Zealand | South Africa | Lincoln | 11 Dec 2000 |
| 26 | SC Taylor | 137* | 1 | England | Sri Lanka | Lincoln | 12 Dec 2000 |
| 27 | KL Rolton | 107* | 2 | Australia | South Africa | Lincoln | 13 Dec 2000 |
| 28 | L Olivier | 101* | 2 | South Africa | Ireland | Christchurch | 16 Dec 2000 |
| 29 | SC Taylor | 136 | 1 | England | Sri Lanka | Pretoria | 24 Mar 2005 |
| 30 | LM Keightley | 103 | 1 | Australia | South Africa | Pretoria | 28 Mar 2005 |
| 31 | KL Rolton | 107* | 1 | Australia | India | Centurion | 10 Apr 2005 |
| 32 | SC Taylor | 101 | 1 | England | Sri Lanka | Canberra | 07 Mar 2009 |
| 33 | HM Tiffen | 100 | 1 | New Zealand | Pakistan | Sydney | 19 Mar 2009 |
| 34 | SW Bates | 168 | 1 | New Zealand | Pakistan | Sydney | 19 Mar 2009 |
| 35 | MDT Kamini | 100 | 1 | India | West Indies | Brabourne | 31 Jan 2013 |
| 36 | SFM Devine | 145 | 1 | New Zealand | South Africa | Cuttack | 01 Feb 2013 |
| 37 | CM Edwards | 109 | 1 | England | India | Brabourne | 03 Feb 2013 |
| 38 | H Kaur | 107* | 2 | India | England | Brabourne | 03 Feb 2013 |
| 39 | SR Taylor | 171 | 1 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | Mumbai | 03 Feb 2013 |
| 40 | SW Bates | 102 | 1 | New Zealand | Australia | Cuttack | 05 Feb 2013 |
| 41 | MM Lanning | 112 | 2 | Australia | New Zealand | Cuttack | 05 Feb 2013 |
| 42 | M Kapp | 102* | 1 | South Africa | Pakistan | Cuttack | 05 Feb 2013 |
| 43 | M Raj | 103* | 2 | India | Pakistan | Cuttack | 07 Feb 2013 |
| 44 | AE Satterthwaite | 103 | 2 | New Zealand | England | Brabourne | 13 Feb 2013 |
| 45 | CM Edwards | 106* | 2 | England | New Zealand | Brabourne | 15 Feb 2013 |
| 46 | SW Bates | 106* | 2 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Bristol | 24 Jun 2017 |
| 47 | NE Bolton | 107* | 2 | Australia | West Indies | Taunton | 26 Jun 2017 |
| 48 | HC Knight | 106 | 1 | England | Pakistan | Leicester | 27 Jun 2017 |
| 49 | Nat Sciver-Brunt | 137 | 1 | England | Pakistan | Leicester | 27 Jun 2017 |
| 50 | S Mandhana | 106* | 2 | India | West Indies | Taunton | 29 Jun 2017 |
| 51 | AMCJK Athapaththu | 178* | 1 | Sri Lanka | Australia | Bristol | 29 Jun 2017 |
| 52 | MM Lanning | 152* | 2 | Australia | Sri Lanka | Bristol | 29 Jun 2017 |
| 53 | TT Beaumont | 148 | 1 | England | South Africa | Bristol | 05 Jul 2017 |
| 54 | SJ Taylor | 147 | 1 | England | South Africa | Bristol | 05 Jul 2017 |
| 55 | DJS Dottin | 104* | 1 | West Indies | Pakistan | Leicester | 11 Jul 2017 |
| 56 | PG Raut | 106 | 1 | India | Australia | Bristol | 12 Jul 2017 |
| 57 | Nat Sciver-Brunt | 129 | 1 | England | New Zealand | Derby | 12 Jul 2017 |
| 58 | M Raj | 109 | 1 | India | New Zealand | Derby | 15 Jul 2017 |
| 59 | H Kaur | 171* | 1 | India | Australia | Derby | 20 Jul 2017 |
| 60 | HK Matthews | 119 | 1 | West Indies | New Zealand | Mt. Maunganui | 04 Mar 2022 |
| 61 | SFM Devine | 108 | 2 | New Zealand | West Indies | Mt. Maunganui | 04 Mar 2022 |
| 62 | RL Haynes | 130 | 1 | Australia | England | Hamilton | 05 Mar 2022 |
| 63 | Nat Sciver-Brunt | 109* | 2 | England | Australia | Hamilton | 05 Mar 2022 |
| 64 | S Mandhana | 123 | 1 | India | West Indies | Hamilton | 12 Mar 2022 |
| 65 | H Kaur | 109 | 1 | India | West Indies | Hamilton | 12 Mar 2022 |
| 66 | Sidra Amin | 104 | 2 | Pakistan | Bangladesh | Hamilton | 14 Mar 2022 |
| 67 | MM Lanning | 135* | 2 | Australia | South Africa | Wellington | 22 Mar 2022 |
| 68 | SW Bates | 126 | 1 | New Zealand | Pakistan | Christchurch | 26 Mar 2022 |
| 69 | AJ Healy | 129 | 1 | Australia | West Indies | Wellington | 30 Mar 2022 |
| 70 | DN Wyatt | 129 | 1 | England | South Africa | Christchurch | 31 Mar 2022 |
| 71 | AJ Healy | 170 | 1 | Australia | England | Christchurch | 03 Apr 2022 |
| 72 | Nat Sciver-Brunt | 148* | 2 | England | Australia | Christchurch | 03 Apr 2022 |

