Former Cricketers and the Cricket Fraternity pour in heaps of praise on the 18-year-old youngster, Davina Perrin, for her record-shattering century in the eliminator.
Kennington Oval witnessed history on August 30 as 18-year-old Davina Perrin etched her name into folklore with one of the most breathtaking innings the Women’s Hundred has ever seen. The Northern Superchargers opener smashed her way into the record books with a scintillating 101 off just 43 balls in the Eliminator against London Spirit, becoming not only the youngest ever centurion in the competition but also the fastest, raising her hundred in just 42 balls.
With her maiden century, Perrin became only the second woman, after Tammy Beaumont, to register a hundred in the Women’s Hundred. Yet, the audacity, fluency, and maturity she displayed made this knock stand apart. It wasn’t just a record; it was a statement of intent from a teenager who has evolved into the heartbeat of Northern Superchargers’ batting this season.
Walking out to open alongside Alice Davidson-Richards after London Spirit skipper Charlie Dean put Superchargers into bat, Perrin seemed in sublime touch from ball one. The openers stitched together a commanding 105-run partnership, with Perrin providing the fireworks. Her innings was laced with 15 boundaries and 5 sixes, the majority struck with devastating authority through cover and mid-wicket.
Davidson-Richards played a steady supporting role before falling for a run-out on the 49th ball, but by then Perrin had already taken full command. Her strike rate of 234.88 was more a reflection of dominance than recklessness. Every shot had intent, but also precision. By the time she brought up her century, her helmet raised, her teammates on their feet, and her parents visibly emotional in the stands, the Oval crowd knew they had witnessed something extraordinary.
Northern Superchargers capitalised fully on Perrin’s whirlwind effort, posting a record-highest total in Women’s Hundred history: 214/5 from their 100 balls.
What makes this moment even more remarkable is where Perrin now stands in the wider narrative of the Hundred. Her 42-ball century is now the second-fastest across both men’s and women’s Hundred competitions, cementing her status as one of the tournament’s true box-office stars.
This season, Perrin has quietly been carving out numbers of real substance: 243 runs at 139.65 strike rate, average 30.37, with one century and one fifty already. In a lineup stacked with experience, she has emerged as the 2nd highest run-scorer for her side, and 4th highest overall in the competition, still only at 18 years of age.
The likes of established stars and former legends, the likes of Ebony Rainford-Brent, “Couldn’t be Prouder Dav”, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, “Wowzaaa! Davina Perrin, ridiculous,” Isa Guha“, I Love Davina Perrin. Hard not to get excited,” Mike Atherton “Outstanding from Davina Perrin” reacted via their personal X handles, showering praise on the youngster.
To have all of this unfold in front of her family, cheering proudly from the stands, adds a layer of poignancy to what was already an unforgettable evening.
As much as Perrin’s batting stole the headlines, the Superchargers as a unit did not lose sight of the objective. Defending their record total, they kept the London Spirit 42 runs short in a high-scoring affair, booking their place in the final with authority. Unsurprisingly, Perrin was named Player of the Match, her beaming smile encapsulating a performance that may well define this edition of the Hundred.
There are milestones, and then there are watershed moments. Perrin’s hundred at the Oval belongs firmly in the latter category. This was not just about runs and records, but about a young batter owning the stage, commanding the spotlight, and reminding the cricketing world of the talent brimming within the women’s game.
At just 18, Davina Perrin has unlocked a chapter that players spend entire careers dreaming of. For Northern Superchargers, she may very well be the X-factor they ride on to glory. For the Women’s Hundred, she may have just delivered the defining image of the tournament’s history so far: a teenager staring down pressure in the Eliminator and turning it into opportunity.
The Hundred belongs to the bold, and in Davina Perrin, the boldest of them all has arrived.
