Top 10 Slowest Fifties in Women’s ODI Cricket History (2026 Update)

Scoring a half-century in One Day International (ODI) cricket is a significant achievement. Most batters aim to reach this milestone quickly. Scoring runs rapidly puts pressure on the opposing team and helps build a large total. However, sometimes batters have to play cautiously. The pitch might be difficult, the bowling tight, and wickets falling. In such situations, staying at the crease is more important than scoring runs quickly. These nine batters have scored the slowest half-centuries in the history of women’s ODI cricket. Each of them took 40 or more balls to reach 50 runs, which is very slow by ODI standards. But every innings had its own context. Each batter did what her team needed at that particular moment. Speed ​​isn’t always the most important factor.

Top 9 Slowest Fifties in Women’s ODI Cricket History

1. Chloe Tryon (South Africa)

In 2016, against Ireland Women at Claremont Road in Dublin, Trisha Chetty took 40 balls to score 50 runs. The match was a challenging one. Ireland bowled well, and the pitch offered assistance to the bowlers.

South Africa needed stability. Wickets had fallen, and Chetty came in and batted cautiously. She took no risks, playing each ball on its merits. She defended the good balls and scored off the loose ones. It took her 40 balls to reach her half-century.

It wasn’t a spectacular innings. It wasn’t fast-paced. But it was exactly what South Africa needed. Chetty held the crease, providing her team with a platform from which other batters could score around her. Her 50 runs took time, but she accomplished her objective.

2. Suzie Bates (New Zealand)

Bates scored fifty runs off 40 balls against the Pakistan women’s team at Saxton Oval in Nelson during the 2016/17 season. She was playing on her home ground. Pakistan bowled disciplined lines and lengths, giving away very few runs.

Bates is usually an aggressive batter who scores quickly. But she couldn’t do that on that day. The bowling was very tight, and the pitch was slow. She had to work hard for every run. She scored slowly, rotating the strike whenever possible and waiting for the bad balls.

For Bates, scoring fifty runs off 40 balls is slow. But she adapted to the circumstances. She did what the situation demanded. New Zealand needed runs, and Bates provided them. The scoring rate didn’t matter.

3. Sophie Devine (New Zealand)

In the 2017/18 season, playing against the Pakistan women’s team at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Devine completed her half-century in 40 balls. Devine is one of the most powerful batters in women’s cricket. However, in Sharjah, she batted cautiously.

The pitch was difficult. Pakistan bowled well. Devine wasn’t in her usual rhythm. She played defensively. She defended more than usual. She scored runs whenever opportunities arose, but such opportunities were few and far between.

For Devine, scoring 50 runs in 40 balls is quite a long time. She usually scores much faster than that. But she had to adapt her approach to the conditions. She accepted this. She batted according to the demands of the pitch. New Zealand needed someone to stay at the crease, and Devine did exactly that.

4. Shafali Verma (India)

In the 2021/22 season, against South Africa Women at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, Verma took 40 balls to score her first run. Verma is known for her aggressive batting style; she usually plays quickly from the start. But she couldn’t do that at Hagley Oval.

South Africa bowled tightly. There was movement on the pitch. Verma was finding it difficult to score freely. She defended well, left the balls outside off stump, and waited for scoring opportunities. Those opportunities came slowly. It eventually took her 40 balls to score her first run.

This kind of slow batting was unusual for Verma. But the conditions were challenging. She adapted her game to the situation and did what India needed. Sometimes, playing slowly is necessary.

5. Danni Wyatt (England)

Wyatt scored 50 runs off 40 balls against India Women at the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury in 2022. The ground is small, and the boundaries are short. Batsmen usually score quickly there. But Wyatt didn’t.

India bowled with discipline. They didn’t bowl many loose deliveries. Wyatt had to work hard for her runs. She played cautiously. She built her innings patiently. She scored 50 runs off 40 balls. This wasn’t her usual scoring rate.

England needed stability that day, and Wyatt provided it. Her measured 50 runs gave England a solid foundation. Other batters could build on that. Even though the innings lacked pace, it served its purpose.

6. Nat Sciver-Brunt (England)

In the 2022/23 season, against the West Indies women’s team at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Sciver scored fifty runs off forty balls. Sciver is one of England’s best batters. She usually scores at a good pace. But in North Sound, she batted slowly.

The West Indies bowled well. The pitch offered assistance to the bowlers. Sciver respected the conditions. She played each ball carefully. She didn’t rush. She let the innings unfold naturally. The fifty runs came off forty balls.

7. Tahlia McGrath (Australia)

McGrath played a 40-ball innings against the Indian women’s team at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai during the 2023/24 season. McGrath is an all-rounder who bats in the middle order. She was struggling with her timing at the Wankhede.

India bowled well, and the pitch was slow. McGrath wasn’t able to score freely. She defended well and rotated the strike whenever possible. She scored slowly, taking 40 balls to reach her half-century.

Australia usually has higher expectations of McGrath, but the conditions were challenging. She adapted her game to the circumstances and batted according to the demands of the pitch. Australia needed someone to anchor the innings, and McGrath did exactly that.

8. Gaby Lewis (Ireland)

In 2024, at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast, Lewis scored 50 runs off 40 balls against England Women. She was playing on her home ground, and the crowd was behind her. However, England bowled well.

Lewis is Ireland’s best batter. She takes responsibility. Against England, she had to be cautious. Wickets were falling around her, and she couldn’t afford to get out. She played steadily, defended well, and scored runs whenever the opportunity arose. She completed her half-century in 40 balls.

9. Jemimah Rodrigues (India)

In the 2024/25 season, Jemimah Rodrigues needed 40 balls to score 50 runs against the South Africa women’s team at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This match was part of a tournament. South Africa bowled with discipline.

Rodrigues bats in the middle order for India. She usually scores at a good pace. But at the Premadasa Stadium, she couldn’t find her rhythm. The pitch was difficult. The South African bowlers gave her no easy opportunities. Rodrigues had to work hard for her runs.

She defended well. She waited for the loose balls. Such balls were few and far between. Forty balls had gone by before she reached her half-century. It was a tough innings. But she got there. India needed the runs. Rodrigues provided them, even if they came slowly.

Read More: 7 Greatest Women’s Cricketer Of All Time (2025 Ranked)