The Spin | Women’s cricket team of the year: from Smriti Mandhana to Sophie Ecclestone

The Spin’s women’s all-format team of the year has historically been dominated by England and Australia – yawn. Fortunately, with Australia’s perpetual-world-champions tag finally removed by New Zealand at October’s T20 World Cup, things look a little different this time.

This year, history was made by Scotland, who qualified for and played in their first ever World Cup; by Sri Lanka, who beat India to secure a maiden Women’s Asia Cup title; and by New Zealand, who came from nowhere to

win their first T20 World Cup trophy

. All in all, it’s been a year where the established order in women’s cricket turned topsy-turvy. As far as The Spin is concerned, long may the chaos continue.

1

Smriti Mandhana (India)

Her achievements this year included talking down her skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, during the World Cup when (after Melie Kerr’s run-out was disallowed by the umpires) it looked like a full-on diplomatic incident might ensue. Smriti has also done pretty well by the more conventional metric of “runs scored”, with a record-breaking four ODI centuries in 2024, plus one in a Test. Some have even tipped her to take over the India captaincy come 2025.

2

Shafali Verma (India)

She may have ended the year by being dropped for India’s ODI series v Australia, but at The Spin we put a lot of weight on Test performances and we just couldn’t leave out someone who scored a Test double-century this year. The innings, against South Africa in June, was trademark Verma – featuring eight sixes, it was the fastest double-century in women’s Test cricket (194 balls).

3

Hayley Matthews (West Indies)

Continues to be a golden goose of franchise cricket, showing outrageous form in the Hundred for Welsh Fire, and helping Melbourne Renegades to a maiden Women’s Big Bash League title with 69 runs and two for 24 in December’s final. After years of despair, she also finally had something to celebrate in her capacity as West Indies captain, when they did the unthinkable and knocked out England to progress to their first World Cup semi-final in six years.

4

Tammy Beaumont (England, wkt)

Didn’t quite manage to fight her way back into England’s T20 team this year, but so what? In her own words: “I don’t have to keep proving myself, I just have to keep playing and enjoying it.” In September against Ireland she added a record 10th ODI hundred to her tally, overtaking Nat Sciver-Brunt and Charlotte Edwards (who have nine each). Note: She’s also this team’s wicketkeeper (if you think that’s cheating, well, we make our own rules here at The Spin).

5

Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa, capt)

When Wolvaardt took over the South Africa captaincy a year ago, The Spin worried she might struggle to juggle the new role with her position as the team’s best batter. How ridiculous those fears seem now for a player who averaged 87 in ODIs in 2024, scored a maiden Test hundred against India, and finished as leading run-scorer in October’s T20 World Cup. We’ve never been more pleased that

she chose cricket over medicine

all those years ago.

6

Melie Kerr (New Zealand)

It might seem odd that the team who won the World Cup only have one player in our team of the year, but New Zealand’s really was a team effort, with just one standout performance – from Kerr in the final. After top-scoring with 43 from 38 balls, she could barely walk due to cramp brought on by the Dubai heat, but somehow managed to also take three wickets, including the crucial one of Wolvaardt. A heroic performance which (alongside 15 wickets in six matches) rightly saw her named player of the tournament.

7

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)

Scored more runs than anyone in T20Is in 2024

–

720 at a strike rate of 127. That included a century against Malaysia and a half-century against India in the Asia Cup, as Sri Lanka handed defeat to reigning champions India, sparking raucous celebrations from the home crowd. Sadly, hopes that Athapaththu might also inspire Sri Lanka to success in the World Cup were unfounded, but as long as she remains at the helm you feel they have a chance to compete at the top table in 2025 and beyond.

8

Annabel Sutherland (Australia)

Nailing down a spot in the Australia XI is a tough nut to crack, but the 23-year-old all-rounder Sutherland came good in 2024, playing every match in every format for the first time in her career. She struck an exquisite Test double-hundred at the WACA in February, was player of the tournament in the Hundred (212 runs at a strike rate of 137 and 10 wickets at an economy rate of 4.5), and ended the year with an ODI hundred as Australia whitewashed India 3-0. England had better start tightening up their bowling plans for Sutherland before January’s Women’s Ashes.

9

Orla Prendergast (Ireland)

Ireland have produced two world-class women’s cricketers in the last 10 years. One of them (Kim Garth) is now playing for Australia; fortunately for her compatriots, the other seems to be staying put. Prendergast was the beating heart of the Irish team who overcame their disappointment at not qualifying for the T20 World Cup by beating England twice in a week – the celebrations at Clontarf Cricket Club afterwards were not for the faint-hearted – before ending the year with a series whitewash of Bangladesh.

10

Kathryn Bryce (Scotland)

The Scotland skipper turned it on when it mattered, tearing through the Ireland top order in their winner-takes-all World Cup qualifier to leave them reeling at 25 for five, before scoring an unbeaten 35 to win Scotland the chance to compete in their first World Cup. O flower of Scotland, when will we see your like again? (Er … hopefully in 2025?)

11

Sophie Ecclestone (England)

She just keeps on taking wickets, doesn’t she? One day it might get boring, but for now, let’s just marvel at a cricketer who became England’s all-time leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals in May. At 25, she should have years left to take many more.

Hammer comes down in WPL auction

There was good news for England’s Danielle Gibson and Scotland’s Sarah Bryce at the weekend: both were purchased in the Women’s Premier League auction, by Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals respectively, and will fly to India in February 2025 for maiden stints in the tournament.

But the big winner was Deandra Dottin, who sold for 1.7 crore ($200,000) to Gujarat Giants. Dottin’s career trajectory is an interesting illustration of the importance still attached to performances in international cricket by franchise teams. After dramatically announcing her retirement from West Indies via Twitter (now X) in August 2022, Dottin became a free agent. But she was omitted from Gujarat’s squad for the inaugural WPL due to medical issues, then failed to get a gig in year two.

Now, five months after coming out of international retirement, and having propelled West Indies into the World Cup semi-final in October with a

brilliant performance against England

, Gujarat decided they want her again. If you’re worried about franchises taking over the world, the fact that the WPL is still focused on international cricket for recruitment purposes should provide you some comfort.

Quote of the week

I’m very proud – I think it was the best day of my life” – Maia Bouchier’s dad, Anthony, gives a speech in the dressing room at stumps on day one, reacting to her century on Test debut at Bloemfontein. By all accounts, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. England went on to

record a famous win

.

Memory lane

Hot on the heels of Tim Southee bowing out for New Zealand this week, Ravichandran Ashwin retired from internationals on Wednesday at the age of 38. He departs India duty as seventh in the all-time wicket-taking list, his off-spin ending 537 innings over 13 years. In that time he helped himself to eight 10-wicket Test hauls – only Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Sir Richard Hadlee and Rangana Herath have managed more. His best figures contributed to a memorable victory over New Zealand in Indore in October 2016 – India elected to bat first and declared on 557 for five, with Virat Kohli smashing 211 and Ajinkya Rahane not far behind on 188.

Then it was Ashwin’s turn to do the damage, and he ran through the visiting order with six for 81, as well as running out both Martin Guptill and Jeetan Patel. Cheteshwar Pujara then took the match out of sight with an unbeaten 101, the hosts declaring once more, but Ashwin destroyed any ultra-slim hopes the Black Caps had of batting out a draw by taking seven for 59, ending with stunning match figures of 13 for 140. Across the three-match series he took 27 wickets.

His last India appearance was in the second Test against Australia, and he bows out with the series finely poised. “I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket. I’ve had a lot of fun,” he said.

Still want more?

Another Indian star is fading

, with Virat Kohli looking like the closest of the batting Fab Four – Kohli, Smith, Williamson and Root – to the end of the line, Geoff Lemon reckons.

Gary Naylor has

report cards for New Zealand and England

after the conclusion of the three-match Test series.

Georgia Voll has shown that Australia’s dominant women’s side has a

conveyor belt of talent that keeps rolling

, Martin Pegan says.

And Vaibhav Suryavanshi, aged 13, and Allah Ghazanfar, 18, have both been picked up in the IPL auction, and Jonathan Liew has questions about

the protections players

have if form and fitness desert unheralded players in the competition.

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