<P> In the sport of cricket, a century is a score of 100 or more runs in a single innings by a batsman . The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together . A century is regarded as a landmark score for batsmen and a player's number of centuries is generally recorded in his career statistics . Scoring a century is loosely equivalent in merit to a bowler taking five wickets in an innings, and is commonly referred to as a ton or hundred . Scores of more than 200 runs are still statistically counted as a century, although these scores are referred as double (200--299 runs), triple (300--399 runs), and quadruple centuries (400--499 runs), and so on . </P> <P> Accordingly, reaching 50 runs in an innings is known as a half - century; if the batsman then goes on to score a century, the half - century is succeeded in statistics by the century . Chris Gayle holds the record of fastest hundred in the history of cricket when he smashed 100 in just 30 balls and scored 175 * runs off 66 balls overall in 20 overs in IPL against Pune Warriors India in 2013 . </P> <P> Centuries were uncommon until the late 19th century because of the difficulties in batting on pitches that had only rudimentary preparation and were fully exposed to the elements . There is doubt about the earliest known century, but the most definite claim belongs to John Minshull who scored 107 for the Duke of Dorset's XI v Wrotham at Sevenoaks Vine on 31 August 1769 . This was a minor match . </P>

Who hit the fastest century in test cricket