Teenager Davina Perrin’s record-breaking century in The Hundred has “life-changing importance,” says Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain.
Perrin, 18, broke multiple records during Northern Superchargers’ semi-final match against London Spirit at The Oval on Saturday, hitting the fastest ton in the women’s Hundred and the second fastest overall while also becoming only the second batter in the women’s competition to make triple figures after Tammy Beaumont in 2023.
The teenager’s century also meant the Superchargers went past the 200 mark for the first time in the women’s competition, and went on to win the final, beating Southern Brave.
“I thought that was one of the most significant moments in the women’s game for a very long time,” said Hussain.
“It was significant for her, obviously, she’s now front and centre of head selectors like Lydia [Greenway], but also franchises around the world.
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Highlights of the Northern Superchargers against the London Spirit in the women’s Hundred eliminator
“It was significant for her family, her mum was in tears up in that box, and it’s obviously significant for the grander, bigger scheme.
“The Hundred deserved to have that innings from her, because it’s done a lot for the women’s game.
“You see the life-changing importance of certain innings, days or wins. And that was a life-changing day for one young lady, who is just 18 years of age.”
Perrin is a graduate of the ACE Programme, a charity launched by Surrey County Cricket Club in January 2020 in response to the decline of the black British professional players.
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Perrin reached her second fifty of the Hundred season with this big six
ACE aims to build grassroots cricket programmes, develop talent pathways and talent identification systems in targeted black communities and cities across the UK.
“Having Perrin come through the ACE programme and doing it at The Oval was also important,” Hussain added.
“I grew up watching the West Indies absolutely hammer us [England] at The Oval, and watching all the British West Indian community coming in at that great ground.
“Having Davina Perrin go in and bat like the way she did, I cannot tell you how important that knock was.
“I do reiterate, I think The Hundred deserved that moment, it has been such an uplifting moment in the women’s competition because you see the importance, sometimes you don’t see it in the men’s.”
Perrin: Richards and Lara inspired me
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Davina Perrin’s 101 off just 43 balls helped the Northern Superchargers beat London Spirit by 42 runs to reach the women’s Hundred final
Perrin said she was “buzzing” after the Superchargers’ semi-final win over Spirit and credited “Sir Viv Richards’ flair and Brian Lara’s ability to score big” as her inspiration.
“[Head coach] Lisa Keightley told me to puff my chest out and that really worked. It was all I planned on doing and it worked.
“I love Sir Viv Richards’ flair and Brian Lara’s ability to score big and that hunger to do so. That’s all I am thinking about.
“My dad always had the YouTube videos up and I have been watching them since I was six or seven, so I always try and channel them.
“I love the West Indies and that era of cricket.”
Sky Sports Cricket’s Mark Butcher also applauded Perrin’s innings, saying: “That has been an absolutely stunning innings and the crowd at The Oval, not just her family, are on their feet applauding.
“It took just 17 deliveries to go from fifty to her hundred – and she is just 18 years of age!”
