Eastern Province women break record with 464-run victory
Eastern Province women thrashed Kei women by 464 runs in a group-stage match in the Women's Provincial League in South Africa
ESPNcricinfo staff
21-Jan-2011
The phrase 'men against boys' is in desperate need of change to a more gender-unbiased alternative (women against girls doesn't quite sound right). Four hundred and sixty four - not the number of people in the stadium, not even the aggregate number of runs in the match - but the margin of victory for Eastern Province women against Kei women in a domestic match in South Africa.
Eastern Province amassed 494 in their fifty overs in the Women's Provincial League group game - a record for the tournament - with Claire Terblanche smacking 181 and Marizanne Kapp getting 163. It was always going to be a testing total for Kei, but their resistance was not just meek, it was non-existent. They rolled over for 30, with Kapp taking 6 for 6 in seven overs.
Unfortunately for Kei, this wasn't just a freak off day. In their first game of the season, in October 2010, they were hammered by 306 runs by South Western Districts. On that occasion South Western Districts had been slightly less merciless with the bat, scoring 329, but only allowed Kei 11.3 overs at the crease before bowling them out for 23.
In fact, the League has seen several ridiculously one-sided results. In November last year, Gauteng trounced Limpopo by 302 runs, scoring 365 in an innings that saw Limpopo use nine bowlers, none of whom went for less than seven runs an over. Limpopo's innings of 63 in that match was inflated by 28 extras. Gauteng hadn't been that generous in the team' first meeting in October, when they gave away just six extras, bowled Limpopo out for 30 and chased the score in 7.4 overs.
Women's international cricket has seen some maulings too. In 1997, New Zealand beat Pakistan by 408 runs, and there have been three more matches which have seen victory margins of more than 300 runs.
Four hundred and sixty four, though, will be difficult to match. But it's not completely inconceivable. Kei still have seven more matches to play this season, including another encounter against Eastern Province, and two against the leaders of their West/East group - Boland Women.
