Quarantine Edition, Part 5: The 'Meg'a mark in ODI cricket

The mid-2010s in ODI cricket was all about AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Hashim Amla chasing batting records. Over the last few years, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Ross Taylor and David Warner have been dominating the ODI format along with Virat. On a parallel note, Meg Lanning held even better supremacy in Women’s cricket by breaking many ODI batting records through the 2010s.

The previous decade was the highest scoring one in Women’s ODI cricket where runs came at 4.18 per over in the 2010s; a number which would be the smallest in Men’s ODIs barring the 1970s (3.93 RPO). The average runs per wicket in Women’s ODIs during the 2010s was 24.74 whereas no decade in Men’s ODIs had average runs scored per wicket below 25. In such an era, the Australian skipper amassed 3693 runs across 80 ODIs at 52.75 average and a strike-rate of 93.96.

Her average is currently the 5th best for any player in ODI history (Men/Women) and her strike rate is well ahead of any Woman cricketer with 2000+ ODI runs. By virtue of those numbers, Lanning is part of an exhaustive list of players with 50+ average and 90+ strike rate in ODI history. Lanning is the only one from Women’s cricket while the ODI greats AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli have achieved it in Men’s cricket. There was a time when Lanning used to score consistently at an unbelievable career strike rate of 100+.

It is something no one would have thought of in Women’s ODI cricket even today. Since becoming the Australian skipper in 2014, Lanning’s brute intent was cut down as she is now striking at little over 91 per 100 balls which is still quite high for Women’s ODIs. Meg Lanning smashed a 45-ball ton against the New Zealand Women back in 2012 which is still the fastest in Women’s ODIs. There have been only six Men’s ODI tons coming in 45 or fewer balls as on today.