Rohit Sharma smashed his way into the record books with a sublime 264 against Sri Lanka on November 13, his second double century in an One Day International match. But he wasn't the first cricketer to score a double century in an official One Day International. Neither was Sachin Tendulkar.



On 16 December, 1997, Belinda Clark, then 27 years old, playing for Australia, took Denmark to the cleaners on her way to an unbeaten 229 off 155 balls in the women's World Cup. At the MIG Ground in Mumbai, Clark smacked a hapless Denmark attack all around the ground. She hit 22 boundaries. At a strike rate of 147.7, she helped Australia to a mammoth total of 412.



The Danish team in response couldn't match up, being skittled out for a paltry 49 runs or one-fifth of Clark's total. The Danish players and supporters were rather embarrassed by their team's pitiful performance on that day. Clark's 229 was also the highest One Day International score, in both men and women's cricket, until Sharma broke it with his 264.



Long innings



Clark was the Australian women's cricket team captain from 1994 up until her retirement in 2005. She lead the team to World Cup wins in 1997 and 2005, but finished runner-up to New Zealand in the 2000 edition. She holds the record for most Test and ODI runs by an Australian, most runs by an Australian in the Women's World Cup and most appearances by an Australian in ODIs.



Clark is till date the only woman to have scored a double century in an One Day International match.



It was only 13 years after Clark's innings that Tendulkar become the first male cricketer to score an ODI double century. The leading scorer in ODIs, Tendulkar scored a sublime double century against South Africa in Gwalior in February, 2010. In that match, Tendulkar clobbered 25 boundaries and three sixes. Virender Sehwag, also Indian, is the only other cricketer to score a double century with 219 runs off 149 balls back in December of 2011.



Back in 2011, Clark was inducted into the Sport Hall of Fame.



Here, courtesy cricket.com.au, is a tribute to Belinda Clark with an introduction by Greg Chappell.







