Lanning rates Antiguan century one of her best

Meg Lanning ranks her Antigua ton among the most satisfying of her one-day international career, after reaching triple figures for the 13th time in ODIs on Thursday.

The Australia skipper posted 121 during a 225-run second-wicket partnership with opener Alyssa Healy, her second century against the West Indies after the 135no she struck in Bowral the last time the teams met in a bilateral series in 2014.

It came against a depleted West Indian attack missing spearhead Shakera Selman and the dangerous Deandra Dottin, but managing to overcome the difficult conditions at Antigua’s Coolidge Cricket Ground – and doing so in intense heat and humidity – made it particularly satisfying for Lanning.

"It’s right up there to be honest, just because I had to grind it out and it wasn’t very free-flowing at any point,” she told cricket.com.au of her 145-ball innings.

"I felt relatively scratchy … It was a tricky wicket, there wasn’t a lot of pace in it and there was some spin as well.

"It was one of my slower hundreds but that’s what the conditions required and to be able to bat with Midge (Healy), who was going along a bit quicker, took the pressure off a bit.

"It never felt like you were in, but Midge and I spoke about working through the tough periods.

"I was able to absorb some pressure and then attack when I needed to … so it was a pleasing effort in some hot conditions. I was certainly struggling towards the back end there."

Lanning has already scored more ODI centuries than any other woman, reaching triple figures in the format at least once every year since she made her debut in 2011.

Last Friday's hundred was her 13th in just her 76th innings, eclipsing the previous record of 83 held by South Africa’s Hashim Amla.

Her first century, against England in Perth, came aged 18 and in just her second innings, while she still holds the record for fastest one-day ton by an Australian, male or female, for her 45-ball effort against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval in 2012.

The 27-year-old has hit a century against every other team in the ICC’s ODI Championship, while her Antiguan ton – which came in the first one-dayer played by Australia’s women in the region – means she’s hit a hundred in every country she’s played in, except Sri Lanka.

After 76 ODI innings, she averages 51.42 and is already Australia’s third highest run scorer in the format, with 3497 to her name behind legends Belinda Clark (4844) and Karen Rolton (4814).

Thursday’s century was her third across all formats since missing seven months of cricket due to shoulder surgery in 2017-18, but perhaps Lanning’s most spectacular highlight of the match was the one-handed screamer she clung on to at first slip off the bowling of leg-spinner Georgia Wareham.

It was the sort of dive she could only have dreamed of when she battled her debilitating shoulder injury through the first half of 2017, and then when she continued her recuperation through 2018.

"It was a bit of luck more than anything," Lanning said. "But it was nice that it stuck.

"It’s nice to be able to dive and not have to worry about the landing.

"My shoulder is good and has been for a while now so it’s nice to be able to act on instinct."

Lanning’s Australians will seek a series-clinching win over the Windies on Sunday, with the second ODI of the three-game series to be played at Antigua’s Sir Vivian Richards Stadium from 9.30am local time (11.30pm AEST).

Fans in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea can stream the series live and free on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App, while fans elsewhere can watch on the West Indies Cricket YouTube channel.

Australia women’s highest ODI run scorers

Belinda Clark – 4844 runs in 114 innings

Karen Rolton – 4814 in 132 innings

Meg Lanning – 3497 in 76 innings

Alex Blackwell – 3492 in 124 innings

Ellyse Perry – 2853 in 85 innings

Meg Lanning's ODI centuries

Jan 2011: 104no v Eng, Perth

Mar 2012: 128 v Ind, Mumbai              

Dec 2012: 103 v NZ, Sydney

Feb 2013: 112 v NZ, Cuttack

Nov 2014: 135no v WI, Bowral

Jul 2015: 104 v Eng, Bristol

Feb 2016: 114no v NZ, Mt Maunganui

Feb 2016: 127 v NZ, Mt Maunganui

Nov 2016: 134 v SA, Canberra

Mar 2017: 104no v NZ, Mt Maunganui

Jul 2017: 152no v SL, Bristol

Oct 2018: 124 v Pak, Malaysia

Sep 2019: 121 v WI, Antigua

CommBank Tour of the West Indies

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Heather Graham, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

West Indies ODI squad: Stafanie Taylor (c), Hayley Matthews (vc), Reniece Boyce, Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Shamilia Connell, Stacy Ann King, Natasha McLean, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed, Karishma Ramharack, Shabika Gajnabi

One-Day Internationals*
*ICC Women's Championship matches

September 5: First ODI, Australia won by 178 runs

September 8: Second ODI, Sir Viv Richards Ground, Antigua

September 11: Third ODI, Sir Viv Richards Ground, Antigua

Twenty20 Internationals

September 14: First T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados

September 16: Second T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados

September 18: Third T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados