On this day: Lanning becomes Australia's youngest centurion

Meg Lanning’s memories of her first international century are a little hazy.

Ten years to the day after scoring 104 not out against England at the WACA Ground – a knock that came just two days after making her debut in the format, and just nine days into her international career –the specific shots played are hard to recall.

The match was not broadcast, either, so the now-Australia captain cannot even replay the highlights to jog her memory of her match-winning 118-ball innings; one that saw her become the youngest Australian, female or male, to reach triple figures in international cricket.

She does, however, remember two senior teammates having her back in the face of a strong England line-up that was determined to rattle the teenager, who was only several months out of high school and opening the batting for her country.

Set a target of 215 by England, legendary allrounder Shelley Nitschke, who opened with Lanning, and first drop Leah Poulton both found ways to take the pressure off their green young teammate as she approached her maiden ton.

"I remember little bits and pieces of it," Lanning told The Scoop podcast this week.

"I was just going with the flow and got off to a decent start.

"I was batting with a fair bit with Shelley Nitschke, and she was sledging the English players for me.

"There was (a bit of chat) coming from behind the stumps from the English wicketkeeper and Shelley had them covered, so I didn’t have to do any sledging in my second game.

"(Then) I remember Leah Poulton being out there and she was saying, I’ll whack the ball around, you just keep batting.

"I was like, Okay, that sounds like a good plan.

If Lanning was intimidated opening the batting against an England attack featuring Isa Guha and Jenny Gunn, it did not show as she hit eight fours and a six, pacing her innings sublimely as she shared in a 151-run opening stand with Nitschke.

She would finish unbeaten as Australia claimed a dominant nine-wicket victory with 51 balls remaining.

Making her efforts all the more impressive was the fact Lanning had never played at the WACA Ground before, nor had she played in a day-nighter.

Then-Australia captain Alex Blackwell noted at the time: "Meg is only 18 and playing just her second one-day game, but batted with experience beyond her years tonight and it is a credit to all the hard work she has been doing."

Lanning had not expected her rise to international cricket to come so fast; she had been included in an Australia squad for the first time one month earlier for a tour to New Zealand, where she made her T20I debut on December 30 in Nelson.

"I got picked on the tour not really thinking I was going to play much at all," Lanning revealed.

"I had a reasonable domestic comp in the lead-up to it, but not an extended run so I was a bit surprised I was on the tour at all.

"I thought I’d be running the drinks a fair bit, so it was good to get out there early and get my career going."

A decade later, Lanning has 14 ODI centuries to her name, more than any other woman.

Her 3856 runs at 55 across that 10-year period is comfortably ahead of her nearest rival Suzie Bates (3592 runs at 46), and 1235 runs more than the next Australian on the list, Ellyse Perry (2621 at 69).

Lanning does not believe her game has changed too much over the years, rather, that she has learned how best to work to her strengths.

"I think I’ve always been pretty off-side dominant, I don’t think that’s changed a lot over the years," she said.

"I’ve become better at understanding the game and my strengths and weaknesses … and being a bit more patient at certain times, then understanding when to put the foot down.

"That’s the art of batting, being able to understand the situation and bat according to it, and going through to the gears especially in one-day cricket.

"I’ve got the ability now to hit a bit more through the leg side, but your strengths are your strengths, and you learn how to use them better."