Mumbai: Amy Hunter became the youngest woman to hit an international hundred when she hit an unbeaten 121 for Ireland against Zimbabwe on Monday (October 11) in Harare. When Mithali Raj had hit an undefeated 114 against Ireland in June 1999 in her very first international, she was 16 years and 205 days old. Hunter, on the other hand, turned 16 on Monday.
Although Hunter, a wicketkeeper-batter, has been called up to the Ireland squad on multiple occasions since last year, it was only against Scotland in May this year that she made her international debut - a T20I at that. She made her ODI debut in the first game of the four-match series between Zimbabwe and Ireland.
Hunter had scores of two, one and four in the three ODIs before she struck her maiden ton in the fourth. Her feat helped Ireland post 312 for three, their highest in the format, bettering the 309 they had scored against Netherlands in 2009. Hunter's 121 not out is also the highest individual score for an Irish batter, beating Karen Young's 120 made against Pakistan in 2000.
Hunter is only the fourth player to score an ODI hundred for Ireland and the first since 2000. She added 143 for the third wicket with captain Laura Delany (68), sixth-best for Ireland in ODIs and second-best for the third wicket.
Zimbabwe were kept to 227 for eight in response, with Delany and Sophie MacMahon picking up two wickets each. Ireland took the series 3-1.
Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi holds the record for being the youngest man to score an ODI hundred – at 16 years 217 days – while Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai is the youngest man to hit a T20I ton (20 years 337 days). Prosscovia Alako, at 16 years 233 days, has the record for being the youngest woman T20I centurion. She had done so in a match where Uganda posted the highest T20I total and registered the biggest win in terms of runs – both across gender.
Youngest women to hit an ODI ton
Only the fourth woman to score an ODI hundred for Ireland
Raj was 16 years and 205 days old when she hit her first hundred
Hunter turned 16 on Monday
Hunter & Laura Delany added 143 for the 3rd wicket
The stand was the sixth best for Ireland in ODIs
Ireland posted their highest ODI total: 312/3
