Who is Amy Hunter? Age of Ireland cricket player to become world’s youngest to hit ODI century - career so far

Ireland batter Amy Hunter became the youngest male or female player to ever hit an international century.

On Monday 11 October 2021, Ireland took on Zimbabwe in Harare in the fourth ODI match and comfortably beat the home side by 85 runs. This was Zimbabwe’s first ever Women’s One Day International series.

Player of the match Amy Hunter was the major contributor to the 312-3 Ireland posted as she scored 121 as well as giving herself a place in the history books - here’s all you need to know about the rising star of Ireland cricket...

How old is Amy Hunter?

The batter from Belfast was not only able to celebrate her first ever ODI century on Monday but also celebrated her 16th birthday. She is now the youngest player to have ever scored a century.

This record was previously held by India’s Mirthali Raj who scored a century against Ireland in 1999 when she was 16 years 205 days.

Who is Amy Hunter?

Born in 2005, Hunter made her first international debut at the age of 15 when she was selected for the Women’s T20 series against Scotland in May 2021.

The wicket-keeper batsman did not however find such centurion luck in her first taste of international play as she only posted a score of two in the first T20 and did not bat in the second before being dropped for the third and fourth matches.

Hunter was then selected for the Women’s ODI squad for Ireland’s series against Zimbabwe. Again, Hunter made little impact in the first three matches scoring only seven runs in total, but came through in the fourth and final match aiding her side to a series win of 3-1.

Speaking to the press after the match, Hunter said “It’s a bit surreal. I didn’t do so well in the first three games so I was just delighted to get that first four away and from there it kind of flowed.

“When I got to my hundred, I had no idea what to do.

“I didn’t know whether to take the helmet off or keep it on. It was unbelievable”

How did Amy Hunter play in Ireland vs Zimbabwe fourth ODI?

Amy Hunter made 121 runs off 127 balls with eight fours. She shared a partnership of 104 with player of the series Gaby Lewis who made 78 off 86 balls, and another partnership of 143 with Ireland and Typhoons captain Laura Delaney who made 68 off 53.

Ireland’s total of 312 is an ODI record score for the women’s team.

Zimbabwe replied to Ireland’s record batting display by posting 227-8 and batter Josephine Nkomo was Zimbabwe’s top scorer with 66 from 106 balls. Ireland’s bowling was too much for the home team with both Laura Delany and Sophie MacMahon picking up two wickets each.

What team does Amy Hunter play for?

In the 2017-2018 season, Hunter played for the Dragons team in Ireland that competed in the Women’s Super series. This team had no geographical base but was made up of some of the best players from across Ireland. They are the second most successful team in the history of the tournament and have three title wins from 2016, 2018 and 2019.

In 2019 the team was dissolved due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Women’s Super 3s was forced to restructure and was reduced to just two teams with the Dragons missing out.

Hunter moved to the Typhoons in 2019 and won the Women’s Super Series with them in 2020.

What’s next for Amy Hunter?

After Shauna Kavanagh tested positive for Covid-19, Hunter was added to the squad for the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers which will take place in November and December 2021.

Ireland are part of Group A for the World Cup Qualifiers and their first match is on 21 November 2021 against the Netherlands.

The qualifying matches will use the T20 format before playing 50-over matches in the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.

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