Top 3 biggest victories by runs in women's Test cricket

Test cricket is the real test for a player, captain, and team. While scoring a century and taking a five-wicket haul in this format is something a batter and bowler aspires to, winning the match can be the biggest achievement and challenge for a captain and the entire team. 

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Over the years, red-ball cricket has provided many exciting moments in both men's and women's cricket. Day 5 or the last day of a Test match usually gives edge-of-the-seat moments with both teams battling hard for victory. However, there have been matches where one team has dominated the entire match and recorded massive victories. This requires clinical performances from both their batter and bowlers.

In this article, we take a look at the biggest wins in terms of runs in women's Test cricket 

3. New Zealand (W) won by 188 runs vs South Africa (W)

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In the second Test of the 1972 New Zealand Women's tour of South Africa, the home team won the toss and opted to field first. Captain Maureen Payne's decision proved right as the Black Caps were bowled out for 168 runs. However, in reply, none of the Proteas batters, barring opener Carole Gildenhuys, showed any resistance. Jill Saulbrey-led Kiwi bowling attack reduced South Africa to 111 runs. The visitors added 220 in the second innings before their bowlers dismantled their opponents' batting unit for a mere 89 runs in Durban.

2. Sri Lanka (W) won by 309 runs vs Pakistan (W) 

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The 1998 Pakistan Women's tour of Sri Lanka featured a one-off Test in Colombo. The hosts opted to bat first and managed to put up a respectable score of 305/9 before declaring. Vanessa de Silva's brilliant half-century was their fuel in the first innings. In reply, the Women in Green could score just 171 runs as Chamani Seneviratna (5/31) and Rasanjali Chandima Silva (4/30) broke their batting line-up. Sri Lanka added 275 runs in the second innings and bundled out Pakistan for 100 runs to record a massive win. 

1. India (W) won by 347 runs vs England (W)

On December 16, 2023, India made history by registering the biggest win (by runs) in women's Test cricket history at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Harmanpreet Kaur and her team broke the 25-year-old Sri Lankan record. Opting to bat first in the one-off match against England, India amassed a massive score of 428-10. Deepti Sharma's five-wicket haul saw the visitors bowled out for 136 runs in the first innings. The Women in Blue added 186 runs to their overnight score before declaring the second innings. England, chasing a big total, were dismissed for 131 runs. Deepti and Pooja Vastrakar were the chief destroyers as they combined for seven wickets.