On this day in 2003: The first-ever T20 century

On June 23, 2003, the first-ever hundred in T20 cricket was registered as Ian Harvey reached the three-figure mark during a game between Warwickshire and Gloucestershire in the inaugural England Twenty20 Cup at Edgbaston.

Warwickshire bat first

Gloucestershire captain Mark Alleyne won the toss and elected to field first. Warwickshire lost their first wicket early in the innings as their captain Nick Knight got out against Jon Lewis. Lewis further dismissed Dominic Ostler for a duck to give Warwickshire their second blow. Jonathan Trott managed to rescue his team with his innings of 65* off 54, smashing six fours and two sixes in his innings. Courtesy of his knock, Warwickshire finished their innings on 134/7.

In the second innings, Craig Spearman and Ian Harvey walked out to open the innings for Gloucestershire. Harvey made his intentions clear right from the word go and began dealing in boundaries right from the start. The Australian all-rounder played a magnificent knock of 100* off 50 balls and etched his name in history books by becoming the first-ever centurion of T20 cricket.

A memorable knock

His innings was studded with 13 fours and four sixes as he helped his team to chase down the target in 13.1 overs and win the match by two wickets. Harvey was deservedly awarded the Player of the Match for his sensational hundred and picking 1/24 in his four-over spell.

During his international career, Harvey played 73 ODIs for Australia scoring 715 runs and picking 85 wickets. While Harvey became the first batter to score a T20 hundred, it was Chris Gayle who scored the first hundred in a T20 international game four years later.

The West Indian opener achieved the feat against South Africa during the T20 World Cup 2007 in September. Gayle played a breathtaking knock of 117 off 57, smashing seven fours and ten sixes in his innings. Gayle’s knock gave the perfect start to the T20 World Cup with his whirlwind knock.