Australian all-rounder Laura Harris, sister of Grace, smashed a 15-ball half-century in the Women's Super Smash, equalling the world record in documented women's T20 cricket.
Laura Harris equals women's T20 world record
Debuting in the Women's Super Smash, New Zealand's domestic T20 tournament, Laura Harris smashed a 15-ball fifty for Otago Sparks against Canterbury Magicians on Sunday (December 28). She equalled the women's T20 world record for the fastest fifty (where data is available) previously held by Marie Kelly, who had made a 15-ball half-century for Warwickshire against Gloucestershire in 2022.
Harris was coming off a poor Women's Big Bash League campaign for Sydney Thunder where she managed only 69 runs in eight innings at an average 11.50. But she turned it around in her team's Women's Super Smash opener.
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Harris walked out to bat at No.4 in a run-chase of 146, after Otago were reduced to 46-2 in 5.3 overs. She didn't spend any time to get going, smashing Gabby Sullivan for two sixes off the last two balls of the sixth over. She then hit Sarah Asmussen for a four and six in the next over to race off to 22 off six balls.
By the end of the ninth over, Harris was batting on 33 off nine, and had a real chance of breaking the world record. She eventually equalled it, getting to 50 with a single off the 15th delivery she faced. She was dismissed soon after for 52 off 17 balls - a knock that included six fours and four sixes.
The platfom laid by Harris helped Otago gun down the target in just 14.5 overs, taking them to the top of the points table.
Match 3, Otago Sparks vs Canterbury Magicians
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Considering matches where ball-by-ball record is available, Harris' innings is the third fastest 50-plus knock in women's T20 history. In fact, it is only the third 50-plus score to have been made at a strike rate of more than 300, the other two being Tess Flintoff's 51* (16) in WBBL 2022, and Sophie Devine's 70 (22) in a T20I vs India in 2015.
The record for the fastest fifty in women's T20Is is shared by Devine, Phoebe Litchfield, and Richa Ghosh, all of whom have made 18-ball half-centuries in the format.
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