Dubai [UAE], December 29 (ANI): Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu, South Africa opener Laura Wolvaardt, New Zealand spinner Melie Kerr and Ireland’s Orla Prendergast were shortlisted for the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2024 on Sunday.
Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka): Matches 21, Runs 720, Average 40, Highest Score 119*; 21 wickets, Average 16.8, BBI 4/29
It wouldn’t be an overstatement to brand Chamari Athapaththu as the most prolific all-time female cricketer from Sri Lanka given her stellar record for the island nation, but the southpaw managed to go one further in 2024.
Despite encountering an unexpected slump in the Women’s T20 World Cup, Athapaththu was the second-highest run-getter in a calendar year in women’s T20Is. Her 720 runs included two hundreds and four half-centuries, with 86 fours and 32 sixes to her name.
Apart from her exploits with the willow, Athapaththu also picked 21 wickets in the period. Her best with the bat and the ball in T20Is came in 2024.
Memorable Performance:
Amidst a series of remarkable performances, including the two centuries in Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, it was Athapaththu’s brilliant 61 against India in Dambulla on July 28 that stood out.
The innings helped Sri Lanka to their first-ever Asia Cup triumph and came against much-touted India.
The Women in Blue elected to bat first, and got to 165/6 courtesy of Smriti Mandhana’s 60 from 47.
Sri Lanka had an early loss in response, but Athapaththu, who had earlier struck with the ball, held the innings together with Harshitha Samarawickrama. She took the lead in run-scoring as Sri Lanka added 87 runs for the second wicket. By the time Athapaththu was dismissed, she had set a solid base for her side. Samarawickrama then found support in Kavisha Dilhari, and the duo sealed a historic chase.
Melie Kerr (New Zealand):
Matches 18, Runs 387, Average 24.18, Highest Score 44*
Wickets 29, BBI 4/20, Average 15.55
A maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title for her side, and the national record for most Women’s T20I wickets in a year marked quite a year for Melie Kerr. Besides, the all-rounder also starred with the willow, hitting five scores of 40+ while playing a key role in the New Zealand top order.
Undoubtedly, Melie Kerr’s finest moment came during White Ferns’ successful run to the title, where the all-rounder scored 135 runs and picked 15 wickets (a Women’s T20 World Cup record) in a historic win. Melie’s numbers picked up as the tournament progressed, with her finest punches coming in the knockout matches.
Memorable Performance:
After New Zealand lost an early wicket in the quest for their maiden T20 World Cup title in the final against South Africa, Melie Kerr walked in and stabilised the innings. She soaked in the pressure early on, and then anchored the innings, her solid presence allowing the likes of Brooke Halliday to go for her shots. Melie fell for 43 but helped the White Ferns to 158/5 in Dubai.
Her leg-spinners rattled South Africa’s chase, getting rid of Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch – the stars of the Proteas’ historic win over Australia, in the same over. This effectively sealed the game for the Kiwis, and Melie added another wicket of Annerie Dercksen to finish with 3/24 in a Player of the Match performance.
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa):
Matches 19, Runs 673, Average 39.58, Highest Score 102
Having assumed leadership late in 2023, Laura Wolvaardt led from the front, starting the year with a flurry of impressive scores against Australia and Sri Lanka. This included a maiden T20I ton that guided the Proteas to a win against the Island Nation in Benoni.
Wolvaardt’s prolific run continued into the Women’s T20 World Cup, where the opener was the leading run-getter in the tournament. As a leader, she oversaw her side into their maiden final appearance.
Memorable Performance:
Arguably South Africa’s most important T20 World Cup win came against Australia in the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final, where Wolvaardt joined Bosch to secure a stunning win.
But the foundation for that triumph was set earlier in Canberra, wherein the Proteas beat Australia for the first-ever time in a women’s international.
Wolvaardt led from the front in the January contest, playing the anchor in a chase of 143. A steady start along with Tazmin Brits put South Africa ahead, but jitters in the middle overs brought back Australia. The South Africa captain, however, kept her cool and remained unbeaten on 58 to secure a brilliant win with six balls to spare. She hit six boundaries in her patient knock.
Orla Prendergast (Ireland):
Matches 18, Runs 544, Average 36.26, Highest Score 80
Wickets 21, BBI 4/22, Average 12.9
Orla Prendergast finished 2024 as the second-highest run-getter and the highest wicket-taker for Ireland in Women’s T20Is in any calendar year, and her exemplary numbers were the reason behind their success in the format this year.
Ireland began and ended the year with whitewashes over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh respectively, and Prendergast starred in both, also winning the Player of the Series award in the latter contest.
Later, her valiant efforts at home helped her side tie series against higher-ranked opponents like England and Sri Lanka.
Memorable Performance:
Prendergast stood tall in the second T20I against neighbouring rivals, England at home in September.
Opening the bowling for her side, Prendergast bowled with control and later secured the wickets of Georgia Adams and Hollie Armitage towards the end of the innings to get to 2/31 in her allotted overs, even as England finished at 169/8.
Then coming in at no. 3, Prendergast walked in after the dismissal of Amy Hunter in the very first over. She then shepherded the chase with a career-best 80, which came off 51 balls and had 13 boundaries in them.
By the time she was dismissed, Ireland were on the brink, and managed to seal the chase in the 20th over. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
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