Devine’s batting onslaught

Sophie Devine has fallen one run shy of equalling her own record for the fastest women’s T20 hundred after an extraordinary batting onslaught in the WPL yesterday. The White Ferns captain smashed 99 off just 36 balls in a sizzling display of power hitting for Royal Challengers Bangalore in their much-needed win over the Gujarat Giants in Mumbai. Devine whacked nine fours and eight sixes in leading her side to its target of 189 with five wickets and 4.3 overs to spare, but came up agonisingly short of becoming the first WPL century-maker and matching her 36-ball ton made for Wellington in 2021.