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Irelands Amy Hunter Becomes Youngest Player To Score International Century Takes Over Mithali Raj

Ireland's Amy Hunter becomes youngest player to score international century, takes over Mithali Raj

Amy Hunter is an exciting enough name to get your brain cells working, but here it’s not the actor, rather a 16-year-old schoolgirl from Ireland, who hit the international cricket running by becoming the youngest centurion ever (male or female) in the game’s 144-year-old professional history.

The Belfast born all-rounder hit an unbeaten 121 against Zimbabwe on October 11, on her 16th birthday, replaced India Women’s skipper Mithali Raj at the top of the list of youngest centurions. Raj had scored her debut century at the age of 16 years and 205 days and incidentally against Ireland Women in 1999.

Hunter, who plays for Typhoons in the domestic set up was one of the keys to Ireland Women reaching their highest ever ODI total as they scored 312-3 in their 50 overs against Zimbabwe in the fourth and final ODI of their bilateral series in Harare.

Being asked to bat after losing the toss, the women in green lost their opener, Leah Paul, early on. But then Hunter joined Gaby Lewis and the two put up 104 for the second wicket before Lewis was removed as well. Laura Delany then accompanied Hunter for a 143 run partnership. It was during this partnership only that Hunter became only the fourth Irish woman to score an ODI century and the first to do it outside Ireland.

The 16-year-old hit eight fours in her 127 ball knock of 121. After Delany’s wicket, Hunter and Orla Prendergast managed to get Ireland past 300 for only the second time in their entire ODI history.

Zimbabwe Women, who are playing only their first-ever ODI series and who did well to win their first-ever ODI itself early on in this series, could only get to 227-8 with Josephine Nkomo top-scoring with 66 of 106 balls.

With this 85 run win, Irish women also sealed the series 3-1.

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