Lanning the leader bats with freedom

Lanning though, doesn’t seem like a leader with too much on her plate. She’s at ease, whether striking the ball or answering questions about her role as the captain and team’s main batter.

"I don’t really think about being captain when I'm batting because there's only so much one can think about while out in the middle," she explained. "It doesn't certainly put any pressure or burden of expectation on me. I'm enjoying what it has to offer, it's a big learning experience and I learn as much as any other player in the team, really."

When asked about her knock that consisted of 18 fours and four sixes, Lanning was modest about her striking. "Tonight, I sort of got on a roll towards the end," she said. "I was just swinging everything and it was one of those days where I hit the gap most of the times."

"Yeah, that's right," she chucked. "I started off with the Victorian state team at the age of 18, and then when cricket took over, I had a decision to make. When I was first selected for the Australian team, I knew cricket became my prime focus. No better than scoring runs for the Southern Stars, but I still play a lot of hockey in the winters. It's a good release."

It's still early days in her international career. If a list of power-hitters among the current crop of women cricketers were to be drawn up, Lanning's name would figure prominently. It's a question of focusing on consistency. But the signs are promising and that bodes well for Australian women's cricket at a time when the sport is on an unprecedented high back home.