Abbott Blasts His Way Into The Record Books

Surrey’s Sean Abbott has blasted his way into the T20 record books with a scintillating 34-ball hundred, equalling the fastest ever ton in Blast history, which was scored by fellow Australian, the late Andrew Symonds, in 2004. The 31-year-old all-rounder’s century, scored against Kent at The Kia Oval on May 26, is also the joint-fourth fastest ever in T20 history and puts him in pole position to win this year’s Walter Lawrence Trophy.

Abbott entered the fray in the Vitality Blast match with Surrey on 62 for 4 after 8.2 overs, and with six overs to go they had only progressed to 118 for 5, Abbott by then having made 28 from 17 balls. Then the warm night suddenly got hotter as 17,000 spectators were treated to a spectacular exhibition of power hitting by Abbott, who smashed 72 runs off just 17 balls to reach his 34-ball hundred and put Surrey into a commanding position. Abbott, whose previous highest score in 76 T20 matches was 41, thrashed 30 off Kent’s Aussie bowler, Kane Richardson, in the 18th over, and soared to his century with his 11th six of the innings. Abbott finished on an unbeaten 110, hoisting Surrey’s total to 223 for 5 which Kent, despite an impressive opening stand of 108, fell short of chasing by 41 runs. Interviewed after the match, a beaming Abbott declared: ‘This isn’t going to sink in for a while. My first Blast game at the Kia Oval in front of a home crowd! I haven’t batted that well, so it was nice to go out there and make the most of it. I had a little bit of luck – but, boy, that was a lot of fun.’

Abbott, who was born in Windsor, NSW, has represented his country in 20 One-Day Internationals and 9 T20 Internationals. He made his debut for New South Wales aged 18 and his consistent performances led to his international call-ups in 2014. A few weeks later tragedy struck as Abbott bowled the ball that fatally hit Phillip Hughes. Showing great strength of character he came back from the shocking incident remarkably well, taking 6 for 14 against Queensland on his return to first-class cricket, just 17 days later.

The Walter Lawrence Trophy, now in its 89th year, is awarded for the fastest hundred of the season and is open to all domestic county competitions as well as One-Day Internationals, T20 Internationals, The Hundred and Test matches in England.

Surrey v Kent scorecard
Sean Abbott’s career statistics

VIDEO:Every run from Sean Abbott’s knock against Kent Spitfires, Vitality Blast, 26 May 2023

Top-Notch Tammy’s Dream Double-Hundred

England’s Tammy Beaumont rocketed into the lead for this year’s Walter Lawrence Women’s Award with a sensational score of 208 against Australia on June 24, which fired her into the international record books. Her 208 is the highest Test score by an England player, overtaking Betty Snowball’s 88-year-old record of 189, and the first double-hundred by an England player. She joins an elite list of only eight players to have achieved the feat and her 208 is the fifth highest score.

After Australia had amassed a total of 474 in their first innings of the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, opener Tammy dug in to lead the fight-back and was the final wicket to fall as England finished just 10 runs behind. Tammy’s vital contribution was scored off 331 balls and included 27 fours. Alas, her monumental innings was not enough to prevent the Aussies win the game by 89 runs on the fifth day.

For the 32-year-old, right-handed bat, it was the realisation of a long-held dream to score a Test hundred, and also a welcome return to the international scene after being axed from the England T20 squad last year. In an interview with Sky Sports following her record-breaking knock, Tammy reflected on losing her place in the T20 set-up: ‘I went away, and asked myself if I even wanted to play anymore, I wondered whether it was time, whether I was past it … I decided I wasn’t. I thought, you know what? There’s life in the old girl yet. I’m only 32. So I worked hard, and changed my mindset to being as positive as possible, and get back to the Tammy Beaumont of a couple years ago.’

Born in Dover, Tammy grew up playing cricket with her father and brother for Sandwich CC, before making her debut for Kent in 2007. She made her England ODI & T20I debuts in the West Indies in 2009, before successfully captaining the England Women’s Academy team on tours to Sri Lanka in 2014 and the UAE in 2015. To date, Tammy has played in 8 Tests, 103 ODIs and 99 T20Is and, as well as Kent, she has played for Surrey Stars, Adelaide Strikers, Southern Vipers, Melbourne Renegades, The Blaze, Sydney Thunder, London Spirit and Welsh Fire. Tammy is bidding to join her England colleague Nat Sciver-Brunt as a three-time winner of the Walter Lawrence Women’s Award, having won it previously in 2016 and 2017.

The Walter Lawrence Women’s Award is for the player who makes the highest individual score in a season from ECB domestic cup games and all England Women’s matches played on home soil.