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The dawn of the glory: When Tina Macpherson became first woman to claim ODI World Cup fifer

Poulomi Chakraborty

Tina Macpherson (Source: @cricketcomau/x.com)Tina Macpherson (Source: @cricketcomau/x.com)

In the cricket world, bowling heroics thrill fans as they ride in the joyous ride when a batter smashes a ton or a double ton. In tense encounters, when a team struggles against relentless batting, fans start dreaming of a hero with the ball, a match-winner capable of turning the tide with a single, breathtaking spell.

Who says a hero has to be a man? In the cricketing world, the title belongs to anyone who rises to the occasion. In the cricket world, hero is a word for both male and female stars, as some of the women stars break the social barriers to make their mark on the male-dominant sport.

In women’s cricket, the world witnessed some iconic bowlers who shattered the big stage. One of them is Tina Macpherson, who recorded the first-ever five-wicket haul in the Women’s ODI World Cup.

Tina Macpherson makes history with a stunning fifer

Being the second popular sport in the world, the madness and craze is all over the world. In the male dominant world, making the mark was not easy but the women cricketers made their own mark. From fearless batters to lethal bowlers, they’ve built a legacy of excellence, inspiring generation after generation with their skill, grit, and sheer brilliance.

Even before the the men’s World Cup arrived in 1975, Women’s ODI World Cup made its mark two years prior in 1973. As it was a dawn to a revolution, that edition of the marquee event welcomed a cricketing icon. In the second match of the tournament, Young England Women locked horns with Australia Women.

Bowling first, Tina Macpherson showcased her brilliance. Bowling first, she secured her first scalp after she removed Susan Goatman. The wickets didn’t come in a rush, but Macpherson’s patience paid off. Two overs later, Margaret Wilks fell to her skillful spell, cementing Macpherson’s status as a game-changing bowler.

As she was not done with her brilliance, opponent batters had a nightmare. In the 21st over, Katherine Brown fell for a duck, and the wickets kept tumbling. By the 23rd over, Rosalind Heggs was sent back after scoring just 8 runs.

Ending her spell with a sensational five-wicket haul, Macpherson had conceded only 14 runs in 12 overs, boasting an incredible economy rate of 1.16.

Australia Women cruise to a commanding win

Facing Young England Women, the Australia Women shattered the big stage with dominance. Along with Macpherson’s fifer, Sharon Trendrea and Patsy May secured two wickets each and Wendy Blunsden secured one wicket and restricted the opponent in just 57 runs.

Chasing the target Australia Women faced some consecutive blows as the first three wickets fell down only in 9 runs. After that, Jackie Potter and captain Miriam Knee stitched 49-run partnership. Potter remained unbeaten on 31, while Knee finished unbeaten on 17, guiding their side to a comfortable seven-wicket victory with 234 balls to spare

Tina Macpherson's five-wicket haul on that momentous day signaled the start of a new era and was more than just a cricketing achievement. Ten years prior, Macpherson had become the first bowler to ever claim a fifer on the World Cup stage.

The first male cricketer to taker a fifer in the ODI World Cup was Dennis Lillee in 1975.  At a time when women’s cricket was fighting for recognition, her brilliant performance captured global attention and announced that women’s cricket had truly arrived.