The panorama of ladies’s cricket is adorned with milestones, and one that always slips below the radar is Belinda Clark’s monumental innings of 229* within the ICC Women’s World Cup in 1997. While Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI double hundred is broadly celebrated, it is essential to acknowledge that Belinda Clark set this extraordinary document 13 years prior. Let’s delve into the groundbreaking innings that formed the course of ladies’s cricket.
229* off 155 balls _
On today in 1997, ICC Hall of Famer Belinda Clark turned the primary cricketer to register an ODI double hundred. pic.twitter.com/erp19GoSQ9
— ICC (@ICC) December 16, 2023
Belinda Clark’s Unprecedented Achievement
In the historic encounter in opposition to Denmark at Bandra’s Middle Income Group (MIG) Ground, Mumbai, Belinda Clark exhibited cricketing prowess that was forward of its time. Her unbeaten 229 off 155 balls, comprising 22 fours, marked the first-ever double-century in ladies’s ODI cricket. The innings not solely set a brand new benchmark but additionally propelled Australia to an imposing complete of 412/3, a rarity within the late ’90s.
Clark’s exceptional feat predates Sachin Tendulkar’s iconic 200* by 13 years, underscoring her standing because the true pioneer of ODI double centuries. The innings showcased not solely her boundary-hitting prowess but additionally her distinctive operating between the wickets, a aspect usually missed.
Belinda Clark’s Impact Beyond the Scorecard
Belinda Clark wasn’t only a record-breaker; she was a frontrunner who took the helm of the Australian ladies’s group in 1994. Under her captaincy, Australia clinched two World Cup victories, firmly establishing her legacy within the annals of cricket historical past.
Despite her vital contributions, Clark’s identify isn’t at all times within the highlight. She obtained accolades resembling Wisden’s ‘Australia Cricketer of the Year’ in 1998 and induction into the ICC’s ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2011. The ‘Belinda Clark Medal,’ instituted in her honour, yearly acknowledges the very best Australian girl cricketer.
Belinda Clark’s Enduring Legacy
Clark’s 229* remained the very best particular person rating in ladies’s ODIs for 25 years, a testomony to her unparalleled talent. The knock shattered information, together with the very best ODI rating throughout genders till Rohit Sharma’s 264 in 2014.
Clark’s affect prolonged past the boundary ropes. From being the CEO of Women’s Cricket Australia to receiving the Order of Australia in 2000, she cemented her standing as a trailblazer each on and off the sphere.
