Tammy Beaumont has now scored centuries in four different formats; Her 118 marks the first century in the women's competition; watch every Hundred game on Sky Sports; every women's match and selected men's fixtures streamed for free
Tuesday 15 August 2023 08:11, UK
Tammy Beaumont has the new record for the highest individual score in The Hundred with 118 runs from 61 balls, surpassing Will Smeed's unbeaten 108.
Beaumont, who captains the Welsh Fire, was on fire against the Trent Rockets, hitting 20 fours and two sixes to hit the first century in the women's competition too.
It continues to be quite the summer for Beaumont, this new record adding to her achievement as the first female double centurion in the Ashes.
She has now scored centuries in four different formats.
"I don't know what's just happened, to be honest! I just had an absolute day out and it's great to put on a show for the fans," Beaumont told Mark Butcher on Sky Sports.
"I think we thought it was a good wicket, but it is used so we're hoping it might deteriorate and spin a little bit in this innings.
"We felt it was the kind of wicket if you got in, you could go hard on and hit with the breeze.
"It's amazing. Again, like I've said all summer, I'm not necessarily thinking about records when I'm out there, I'm thinking about doing my best for the team.
"I was thinking how could I bat through and not let Larris [Laura Harris] in to have a go at the River Taff - it was a good innings."
When asked about her hopes of now gaining England T20 selection, Beaumont added: "I'm someone who, if I feel like I can keep learning and keep improving, I don't give up.
"It's a captain's headache having Sophia Dunkley and Hayley Matthews as well, I could be batting three next game because we've got three very good openers.
"It's nice to perform but at the same time, England have got some amazing batters in T20 cricket and if I'm counted as one of them that's pretty special."
Beaumont's highest score of 118 steered Welsh Fire to a 41-run victory over Trent Rockets to move top of the table.
The team total of 181 topped the 166 scored by Southern Brave Women against the Welsh Fire two years ago and the win meant a big step towards the hosts' top-three qualification.
Trent Rockets chased the record total bravely, with opener Bryony Smith hitting 48 off 21 balls, but the scale of the task was always too great as they finished with 140-5.
A record-breaking afternoon at Sophia Gardens started quietly. Beaumont elected to bat first after winning the toss for Welsh Fire.
After a slow start by both Dunkley and Beaumont against the swing of Alexa Stonehouse, it was the captain who found her feet first as she sent the scoreboard whirring with a combination of sweeps, cuts and straight drives.
Beaumont was dropped at deep square leg by Joanne Gardner off the returning Stonehouse when on 33, while Dunkley could have been run out with a direct hit on 22.
Beaumont brought up her fifty off just 25 balls with another sweep off Kirstie Gordon, scoring at a rate of 200 as an example of her more aggressive approach.
Dunkley fell for 24 off 18, trying to sweep the leg spin of Alana King, but there was no slowing of the run rate with Sarah Bryce joining her captain, the 100 coming up off 55 balls.
Beaumont celebrated by hitting four-successive fours off Cassidy McCarthy, then survived an lbw decision on review against King. She was given out, but the ball pitched outside leg.
Having taken 20 off a McCarthy set of five balls, Beaumont then scored 22 off a Naomi Dattani set of five. Her ton came with a single tucked to square leg as she more than earned the right to make sure of the landmark off just 52 balls.
After all the records had fallen, Beaumont was finally out off the penultimate ball of the innings, caught deep square leg by Gardner off the bowling off Kirstie Gordon.
Bryce was overshadowed at the other end, but her 31 off 20 was a useful contribution.
It was a day to forget for most of the Rockets bowlers, but King stood out with one for 16 off her 20 balls, Gordon's two for 27 off 20 balls the next best performance.
It needed something remarkable from the visitors' batting line-up, but Lizelle Lee showed her intent with a straight six in the second ball of the innings.
Smith also launched into the Fire bowling, hitting 34 off her first 13 balls. The home side needed wickets and Shabnim Ismail induced a false shot from Lee, who was caught mid off by Georgia Elwiss for 26.
That brought Nat Sciver-Brunt to the wicket, but - at the other end - the Rockets lost Smith as she was well caught by a diving Dunkley at deep midwicket for 48, with Freya Davies the bowler.
Dunkley took an even-better reaction catch off her own bowling to dismiss Sciver-Brunt cheaply. Harmanpreet Kaur (22 not out) batted nicely, but Welsh Fire were able to see out the victory in relative comfort.
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