Over the last few years, fast bowling in women’s cricket has improved a lot. Even though people love seeing boundaries and maximums, nothing beats the excitement of a fast bowler giving it their all. In the past, legendary players like the West Indian team in the 1970s and 1980s, and famous pairs like Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson from Australia, and later Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar, made fast bowling really thrilling.
Similarly, in women’s cricket, players like Cathryn Fitzpatrick and Jhulan Goswami became known for their speed. But because there weren’t good tools to measure speed in women’s cricket, there wasn’t much data until recently.
But now, the importance of fast deliveries in women’s cricket is growing, and we have more data to track it. So, let’s take a look at the five fastest deliveries ever recorded in women’s cricket.
1. Shabnim Ismail – 132.1 kph, WPL 2024
South African cricketer Shabnim Ismail threw the fastest ball ever in women’s cricket during a match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals in 2024. It happened on March 5th.
In the game, during the third over of the first innings, Ismail threw the ball at a speed of 132.1 kilometers per hour. This was too fast for Meg Lanning, the captain of the Delhi team. The ball hit her leg, but the umpire didn’t give her out, despite the Mumbai team’s appeals.
When asked about her record-breaking throw after the match, Ismail said she doesn’t pay attention to the big screen while bowling.
Even though Ismail’s fast ball set a new record, it didn’t change the outcome of the match much. The Delhi Capitals won the game by 29 runs, pushing them to the top of the league table. Ismail didn’t have a great day overall, as she gave away 46 runs in four overs, managing to take just one wicket.
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2. Ellyse Perry – 130.5 kph, WPL 2023
During the first Women’s Premier League in 2023, Ellyse Perry from Australia did something amazing. She bowled a cricket ball faster than any other woman before, reaching a speed of 130.5 kilometers per hour!
Playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team, Perry’s fast delivery helped her team win against the UP Warriorz. She also took three wickets for only sixteen runs in four overs, which stopped the other team from scoring too many runs. Thanks to her efforts, the Royal Challengers Bangalore won their first match of the season after losing five times in a row.
Although Perry was fantastic, her team didn’t do so well overall. They only won two matches out of eight and ended up second from the bottom in the league.
Still, Perry’s amazing bowling proves why she’s considered one of the best cricket players ever, having won the T20 World Cup six times!
3. Shabnim Ismail – 128.3 kph, WPL 2024
Shabnim Ismail showed off her speedy bowling skills in the first game of WPL 2024. She played against the Delhi Capitals and bowled a super-fast ball at 128.3 kilometers per hour in Bengaluru.
During the match, Ismail bowled really well, only giving away 24 runs and taking one wicket in her four overs. This helped her team, the Mumbai Indians, keep the Delhi Capitals from scoring too many runs, with the Capitals finishing at 171/5 in 20 overs. The Mumbai Indians won the match in an exciting finish with a six on the last ball by Sajeevan Sajana.
After this impressive performance, unfortunately, Ismail couldn’t play in the next two matches because she got injured. So far in the season, she has taken five wickets in three matches, with an average of 17.60 runs per wicket and an economy rate of 7.33 runs per over.
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4. Shabnim Ismail – 128 kph vs West Indies, 2016
Shabnim Ismail became known as the fastest bowler of her time when she bowled at a speed of 128 kilometers per hour in a series against the West Indies in 2016. She was born in Cape Town and played cricket.
She troubled the West Indian batters by taking seven wickets with an average of less than nine runs. She took three wickets in two consecutive matches, which helped her team level the series.
In the final match, Ismail only gave away 22 runs in four overs, helping South Africa win the series 2-1.
5. Shabnim Ismail – 128 kph vs. England, 2023 T20 World Cup
In one of her last big matches, Shabnim Ismail, a famous South African cricketer, showed her skill one more time.
In a tense game at the 2023 T20 World Cup, South Africa made a good score of 164/4. Then Ismail, who’s been playing cricket for a long time, bowled really well. She got three important players out: Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, and Heather Knight.
Her bowling helped South Africa win the match by six runs. Ismail’s fastest delivery during the game was at 128 kilometers per hour, exciting the fans in Cape Town, where the match was held.
Even though South Africa didn’t win the final match against Australia, Ismail ended her career as South Africa’s best wicket-taker in T20 and ODI matches.
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