England’s Jenny Gunn is all set to create history by becoming the first cricketer, male or female, to reach 100 Twenty20 matches when her team plays India in the Twenty20 tri-series at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday.
The Nottingham-born 31-year-old made her T20 debut at the age of 18 against New Zealand at Hove and has scored 665 runs and taken 73 wickets at 18.22 with a five for 18 against the West Indies at Bridgetown in October 2013 as her best. She did not bowl in 28 matches.
Recalling the strange part of her long cricketing journey, Gunn said: “You have people telling you that you belong to the kitchen and you shouldn't be playing cricket.
“They would say that on social media and not to your face. And half the time you want them to come to the nets and face us and prove that they can do better.”
On the cherished moment that would arrive on Sunday, Jenny said some of the youngsters in the team were not even five years old when she made her T20 debut in 2004.
“I can’t really believe I am going to play my 100th game. I can’t until the captain tells me it is going to be my 100th game. I just want to play cricket for England. Hopefully my 100th cap will cap off a very good win.”
Jenny has been part of the T20 moment that has taken women’s cricket forward. “The idea was to get people to watch a shorter format, 50-over and Test is a long day.”
Asked to comment on the ‘whiff ball’ she is linked with, Gunn said: “Everyone is talking about the whiff. It’s been 14 years of calling me a chucker. But, I found the slower ball; something that really worked.
“I don't know how I bowl it. Literally, it just happened by accident.”
