Smriti Mandhana, Annabel Sutherland, and Nonkululeko Mlaba Contend for December's ICC Women's Player Award
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Dubai, Jan 7 (NationPress) Smriti Mandhana of India, Annabel Sutherland from Australia, and Nonkululeko Mlaba of South Africa have been recognized with nominations for the ICC Women's Player of December award.
Smriti Mandhana showcased outstanding form across various formats, playing a crucial role during India's tours and home series. Although she faced challenges in the initial ODI matches against Australia, Mandhana bounced back impressively in the third ODI, scoring a dazzling century (105 off 109 balls). This exceptional performance paved the way for her stellar showings in the following home series against the West Indies.
Her performances in the T20I series against the West Indies were particularly spectacular, where she achieved three consecutive half-centuries, leading India to a 2-1 series triumph. Her capacity to stabilize innings while ensuring a brisk strike rate highlighted her status as one of the premier batters in women’s cricket.
In ODIs, she amassed 270 runs over six matches with an average of 45.00 and a strike rate of 91.52. In T20Is, she scored 193 runs in three matches, maintaining an impressive average of 64.33 and a strike rate of 59.50.
Annabel Sutherland from Australia played a pivotal role in her team's unbroken ODI streak in December. This all-rounder demonstrated her batting skills with two centuries – an exhilarating 110 against India in Perth and an unbeaten 105 against New Zealand in Wellington. Her ability to merge aggression with calmness at the crease added significant depth to the Australian side.
Sutherland's contributions with the ball were equally vital. Her match-winning figures of 4/39 in the second ODI against India underscored her talent for performing under pressure. Throughout five ODIs in December, she captured nine wickets while sustaining an impressive economy rate of 3.85. Her overall performance included scoring 269 runs at an average of 67.25 and a strike rate of 113.98, along with nine wickets at an average of 16.22 and an economy rate of 3.85.
Her all-around excellence earned her the distinction of being a double Player of the Series award-winner in December.
Nonkululeko Mlaba from South Africa made history with a record-setting performance in the one-off Test against England in Bloemfontein. She became the first South African woman to achieve a 10-wicket haul in Tests, concluding with impressive figures of 10 wickets at an average of 15.70.
Though South Africa lost the Test match, Mlaba's performance stood out, showcasing her expertise in spin bowling in the longest format of the game. She also made contributions in the ODI series against England, where she took two wickets and scored 20 runs.
