Belinda Clark was a giant of the Australian game both on and off the field, where she combined the roles of player and captain with that of chief executive of Women's Cricket Australia. She has led by example, averaging over 45 in both Tests and one-day internationals. In 1997 she captained Australian to their fourth World Cup, but despite cracking 91 in the 2001 final, Australia lost to New Zealand by four runs. Clark's revenge came in 2005 when she led Australia to another title in South Africa, where her side did not lose a game. She holds the women's record one-day score of 229, made against Denmark at Mumbai in 1997. At Test level Clark was, if anything, even more prolific, and her best score of 136 was made against England at Worcester in 1998. She holds Australia's record for Test and ODI runs and also for ODI appearances. She retired at the end of the 2005 Ashes series, but like her male counterparts, it was as part of a losing side .
Cricinfo staff September 2005