Shafali Verma holds the record for the fastest fifty in The Hundred Women’s competition, smashing a half-century off just 22 balls for Birmingham Phoenix against Welsh Fire at Edgbaston on 9 August 2021.
The Indian opener finished unbeaten on 76 off 42 balls. The record has stood across all five seasons of the tournament. This article covers every quick half-century that matters in the Women’s Hundred.
Fastest Fifties in The Hundred Women: Quick Snapshot
The Women’s Hundred has produced six standout sub-30-ball half-centuries since 2021. Most came from openers cashing in on the 25-ball powerplay.
| Rank | Player | Team | Balls | Final Score | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shafali Verma | Birmingham Phoenix | 22 | 76* (42) | Welsh Fire | 2021 |
| 2 | Davina Perrin | Northern Superchargers | 25 | 101 (43) | London Spirit | 2025 |
| 2 | Tammy Beaumont | Welsh Fire | 25 | 118 (61) | Trent Rockets | 2023 |
| 4 | Nat Sciver-Brunt | Trent Rockets | 29 | 51* (29) | London Spirit | 2025 |
| 5 | Eve Jones | Birmingham Phoenix | 30 | 52* (35) | Welsh Fire | 2021 |
Verma’s record sits one ball clear of Harry Brook’s 21-ball fastest fifty in the men’s competition. Now let’s break down each knock and what made it stand out.
Shafali Verma’s 22-Ball Fifty: The 2021 Edgbaston Demolition
Shafali Verma scored her 22-ball fifty on 9 August 2021 at Edgbaston, batting for Birmingham Phoenix against Welsh Fire. The 17-year-old Indian opener was chasing 128 with no qualification cushion left to play with.
She finished unbeaten on 76 off 42 balls. The match also produced the first 10-wicket victory in The Hundred (men’s or women’s).
What made the knock historic:
- Nine fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 180.95
- Phoenix raced to 47 in the 25-ball powerplay, of which Verma scored 37
- Took 12 off Bryony Smith’s opening over, including a six to midwicket
- Three boundaries in a row off Hayley Matthews (four-four-six)
- Unbroken opening stand of 131 with Eve Jones, the highest partnership in the tournament at the time
Sarah Taylor, watching from behind the stumps, said: “You can tell instantly from the way she sets up that she wants to hit it and hit it hard.” Some innings change the temperature of a tournament. This was one of them.
Davina Perrin’s 25-Ball Fifty: The 2025 Eliminator Masterclass
Davina Perrin scored a 25-ball fifty on 30 August 2025 at The Kia Oval, batting for Northern Superchargers in the Eliminator against London Spirit. She opened, reached fifty off her 31st delivery, and never slowed down.
The 18-year-old later finished on 101 off 43 balls. That’s also the fastest century in the Women’s Hundred, reached in just 42 deliveries.
Quick numbers from her knock:
- Three sixes inside 13 deliveries during her fifty (over deep square leg, long-off, long-on)
- Opening stand of 105 runs in 49 balls with Alice Davidson-Richards
- Strike rate of 234.88, including 15 fours and 5 sixes
- Helped Superchargers post 214 for 5, the highest team total in Women’s Hundred history
Mark Butcher on Sky Sports said it took her just 17 deliveries to go from fifty to her hundred. At 18 years old. Selectors are clipping that one for later.
Tammy Beaumont’s 25-Ball Fifty: Cardiff, 2023
Tammy Beaumont matched the 25-ball fifty mark on 14 August 2023 at Sophia Gardens, batting for Welsh Fire against Trent Rockets. Hers built into the most dominant innings in the tournament’s short history.
Beaumont won the toss, chose to bat, and brought up her fifty with a sweep off Kirstie Gordon, scoring at a strike rate of 200. She finished on 118 off 61 balls.
Her innings included:
- 20 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 193.44
- A 52-ball century, the original Women’s Hundred record
- Welsh Fire’s 181 for 3, the then-highest team total in the women’s competition
- Four fours in succession off debutant seamer Cassidy McCarthy
The record stood for two years before Perrin overtook it. Beaumont’s 118 still ranks as the highest individual score in the Women’s Hundred as of 2026.
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 29-Ball Fifty: Lord’s, 2025
Nat Sciver-Brunt sits fourth on this list with her 29-ball fifty at Lord’s on 14 August 2025. She finished unbeaten on 51 off 29 for the Trent Rockets against the London Spirit.
The six off the final ball brought up her fifty in style. Her quick details:
- Four fours and two sixes in her unbeaten 51
- Player of the Match award (Meerkat Match Hero)
- Trent Rockets posted 149/6, then bowled out Spirit for 116
Sciver-Brunt is also the all-time leading run-scorer in the Women’s Hundred with over 1,000 runs and the most fifties (10) in tournament history.
Other Notable Quick Fifties in The Hundred Women
A handful of innings sit just outside the top four. These are the close-but-not-quite knocks that shaped the competition’s batting trajectory.
Jemimah Rodrigues: 92* off 43 balls (2021)
Jemimah Rodrigues announced herself in the inaugural season with an unbeaten 92 off 43 balls at Headingley on 24 July 2021, batting for Northern Superchargers against Welsh Fire.
Her innings featured 17 fours, 1 six, and a strike rate of 213.95. Player of the Match. Northern Superchargers chased their target with six wickets in hand.
Beth Mooney: 99* off 54 (2024) and 97* off 55 (2022)
Beth Mooney has scored two of the top individual innings in Women’s Hundred history without ever clearing three figures. Cruel game, sometimes.
Her 99* off 54 balls came on 11 August 2024 for Manchester Originals against Northern Superchargers, with 14 fours and 3 sixes. The 97* off 55 came on 12 August 2022 for the London Spirit against the Southern Brave, with 16 fours and 1 six.
Laura Wolvaardt: 90* off 49 balls (2022)
Laura Wolvaardt chased down 161 with an unbeaten 90 off 49 balls for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals at Headingley on 21 August 2022.
The South African opener struck 6 boundaries in 7 balls during the death overs to win the match with one ball to spare. 13 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 183.67.
Bess Heath: 57 off 34 balls (2022)
Bess Heath, then 20, hit 57 off 34 balls at Headingley on 14 August 2022 for Northern Superchargers against London Spirit. She struck 9 fours and a six during her stay.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge: 59 off 39 balls (2025)
Danni Wyatt-Hodge anchored Southern Brave’s 139 with a 59 off 39 balls against Birmingham Phoenix on 10 August 2025. She’s the second player, after Sciver-Brunt, to score 1,000 runs in the Women’s Hundred.
How The Hundred’s Format Shapes Fast Fifties
The Hundred gives each side just 100 balls per innings, with a 25-ball powerplay where only two fielders sit outside the 30-yard circle. That structure forces batters to start fast and stay aggressive.
Format quirks worth knowing:
- 10-ball overs instead of the traditional six-ball overs
- Bowlers can deliver 5 or 10 balls in a row, then change ends
- A bowler can deliver up to 20 balls in an innings
- 25 balls a side is the minimum game length in case of weather
- Powerplay covers the first 25 balls of each innings
A 30-ball fifty in The Hundred translates to roughly a 36-ball fifty in T20 cricket. The format compresses everything. Verma scoring 37 in the power play alone explains how she got to 50 in 22 balls.
Fastest Fifties Across Major Women’s T20 Leagues
Here’s how The Hundred Women stacks up against other top women’s franchise leagues:
| Tournament | Fastest Fifty | Player | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s Hundred | 22 balls | Shafali Verma | 2021 |
| Women’s Premier League | 18 balls | Sophie Devine | 2023 |
| Women’s Big Bash League | 16 balls | Tess Flintoff | 2022 |
| Women’s T20I | 18 balls | Devine / Litchfield / Ghosh | Various |
The WPL and WBBL marks sit quicker, partly because those tournaments use 20 overs (120 balls) per innings versus The Hundred’s 100. More room to bat aggressively without losing early wickets.
Players to Watch for The Hundred Women 2026
Following the 2026 Women’s Hundred auction, several big-hitters look set to challenge Verma’s 22-ball fifty mark this season.
The names worth tracking:
- Sophie Devine (Welsh Fire, £210,000) holds the 18-ball WPL fastest fifty record
- Beth Mooney (Trent Rockets, £210,000) has two near-century innings already
- Davina Perrin (Northern Superchargers, retained) holds the second-fastest mark
- Ash Gardner (Trent Rockets) hit a 32-ball 61 in 2025
- Phoebe Litchfield (Sunrisers Leeds) holds the 18-ball Women’s T20I fastest fifty
The 2026 season also brings a competitive ‘reset’, with squads rebalanced after a few sides dominated the early editions.
Suggested Reads:
Final Word: Shafali Verma Holds The Record For The Fastest Fifty In The Hundred Women’s Competition
The Hundred Women’s fastest fifty record sits at 22 balls, held by Shafali Verma since 2021. With overseas signings reaching £210,000 in 2026 and batting standards rising sharply each year, that mark looks beatable.
The arrival of established power-hitters like Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney, paired with rising talents like Davina Perrin, suggests the next 22-ball benchmark could fall sooner than later. Worth keeping an eye on this August.
