Meg Lanning to Sophie Devine: Women’s Cricketers with Most International Centuries

Former Australia Women’s Cricket team captain Meg Lanning, widely regarded as the best women’s cricket player, has the most centuries in women’s cricket with 15 international tons to her name in a celebrated cricketing career.

From the Indian women’s cricket team, star Indian women's cricketer Smriti Mandhana has the most international centuries with seven 100s to her name, followed by former skipper Mithali Raj. 

Meg Lanning - 15 international centuries

Counted amongst the greatest of women cricketers, Meg Lanning has the record for scoring the most centuries in international cricket across all three formats. Her favorite format was 50-over cricket, a format in which the former Australian women's cricketer has as many as 15 centuries—the highest by any player in women’s cricket.

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Lanning also has two centuries in the T20I format as she ended her illustrious cricketing career with seven ICC World Cup titles - five in ODIs and two in T20Is. Lanning’s highest scores in ODIs and T20Is have come against Sri Lanka and England, where the fiery batter remained unbeaten on 152 and 133 runs respectively.

Suzie Bates (New Zealand) | 14 centuries

The New Zealand all-rounder ranks second on the list of most centuries by a women's cricketer in international cricket. Suzie Bates has 14 centuries to her name across all formats of cricket, most of which (13) came in ODIs barring one in a T20I match.

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Bates’ highest score in cricket came in an ODI match against Pakistan where she tallied a brilliant 168-run knock during the 2009 Women’s ODI World Cup in a winning cause. She repeated a similar feat against South Africa in 2018 in a T20I, where Bates tallied 124 runs in 66 balls and remained unbeaten as well. With Lanning already retired, Bates has the potential to leapfrog Lanning on this list.

Charlotte Edwards (England) | 13 centuries

Third on this list sits England’s superstar cricketer Charlotte Edwards, who has also been one of most influential figures of the nations. Before retiring from international cricket back in 2016, Edwards had amassed 13 centuries across all formats of the game. Such was her influence that she was also inducted into the IC Hall of Fame in 2022.  

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Edwards didn’t play many T20Is as such but was a terrific batter in Tests and ODIs, where she had nine and four centuries, respectively. Edwards’ highest score in ODIs came against Ireland back in 1997 where her unbeaten 173-run knock on 155 balls - a world record for the highest score back then. Her highest tally in Test cricket is 117 against New Zealand.

Claire Taylor (England) | 12 centuries 

Yet another English cricketing superstar of the 2000s, Claire Taylor sits fourth on this list with 12 centuries in ODIs and Tests combined. The wicket-keeper batter debuted in international cricket in the ODI format back in 1998 and made it her pet format since. She made eight ODI centuries and four Test centuries before wrapping her 12-year long cricketing career in 2011.

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Her highest ODI score against India was when she remained unbeaten on 156 runs at the Lord’s in 2006. Her favorite opponents, however, were Sri Lanka and Australia against whom she has three and two centuries, respectively. Taylor’s highest score in Tests came against South Africa in the early parts of her career when she scored 177 at Shenley. Taylor has two Test tons against South Africa and one against India and Australia each.

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) | 12 centuries

The most recent big name in women’s cricket after her heroics in the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu sits fifth with 12 centuries across all formats. At a time whe Sri Lanka’s men’s team has plummeted to new lows, their women’s cricket team skipper is a beacon of hope. Chamari has nine ODI tons and three T20I centuries so far.

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Chamari Athapaththu has two centuries each against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa which prove her ability to influence big games. Her highest ODI score came against South Africa this year in April, 2024, where she remained unbeaten on 195 runs to help her side chase a target of 302 runs. While it was the third highest individual ODI score in women’s cricket it was also the highest successful chase in women's ODIs.

Athapaththu’s highest T20I score is an unbeaten 119 against the Malaysia cricket team, which came in July 2024. The fierce batter has T20I centuries against Australia and Scotland as well.

For long, ODIs have been the format that women cricketers played with Tests being played rarely in between while T20Is were only a recent addition for them. Hence, most of the names on the list of most centuries scored by women’s cricketers in international cricket represent the ODI format.

While Meg Lanning, Suzie, Bates and Chamari Athapaththu are familiar names, the likes of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Tammy Beaumont join them.

Nat Sciver-Brunt (England) | 9 ODI centuries

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Sciver-Brunt has scored nine ODI centuries so far, accumulating 3676 runs in the 50-over format. Australia have been her favorite opponent in this format against whom Sciver-Brunt has scored as many as four tons, with three other coming against Pakistan and one century each against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Brunt’s highest score is an unbeaten 148 runs that came against Australia during the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup, albeit in a losing cause.

Tammy Beaumont | 9 ODI centuries

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Yet another English name on this list is the magnificent Tammy Beaumont. A very fine player of spin bowling, Beaumont has seven centuries against Pakistan and Sri Lanka (three and four, respectively) - a rare feat in the English team. Her two other centuries came against Australia and New Zealand. Beaumont’s highest ODI score of 168 runs came against Pakistan during the 2016 ICC Women’s Championship as England posted an invincible target of 367 runs.     

Janette Ann Brittin | 5 Test Centuries

An absolute legend of England women’s cricket, who also inspired a generation of cricketers, Janette Ann Brittin has the most number of Test centuries in international cricket. She accumulated 1935 centuries in 27 Test matches and tallied five centuries in the process.

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Australia played only against four opponents back then - India, New Zealand and West Indies - and Britain has scored Test centuries against all except West Indies. Her favorite opponents were Australia, who have conceded four Test tons against Britain. Her highest Test score of 167 runs came against Australia in her second last Test at Harrogate.

Enid Bakewell | 4 Test Centuries

Another England batting legend is Enid Bakewell, who plied her trade in the 80s. Bakewell made her Test debut in 1968 and played in 12 Tests in her entire career, and still managed four centuries. England only played Australia, New Zealand and West Indies back then and Bakewell has centuries against them all.

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She has two against New Zealand and one each against the others. Her highest Test score of 124 came against New Zealand in Wellington in 1969. Bakewell was an exceptional bowler as well, with 50 Test wickets to her name.

Sandhya Agarwal | 4 Test centuries

A prominent member of the Indian women’s cricket team of the 80s and 90s, Sandhya Agarwal was a reliable batter who tallied four Test tons. She scored two Test centuries against England and one each against Australia and New Zealand.

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Her highest score in Tests is 190 runs, almost a double century, came against England in Worcester back in 1986 that helped India draw the match when it was looking like a lost cause.