The first week of the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) kick-started with Gujarat Giants squaring off against Mumbai Indians and ended with UP Warriorz taking the stage alongside Royal Challengers Bangalore. After the end of seven days, Mumbai are the only side yet to be conquered.
The first week witnessed many gun players take the ongoing T20 extravaganza by storm with their breathtaking performances. Among these cricketers, there were certain overseas stars who brought their A-game into play and stamped their authority on the cricket field.
Here is the best overseas XI from the first week
1. Hayley Matthews
West Indies cricket has produced many match-winners but there have not been many of the caliber of Hayley Matthews. She has scored 1915 runs in 75 ODIs at an average of 26.97 and bagged 89 wickets at an economy of 4.06. In the shortest format, she has scored 1581 runs in 82 T20Is at a strike rate of 104.15 and picked up 78 wickets at an economy of 5.80.
Matthews has displayed her all-round might in the ongoing edition of WPL. She has featured in three games for Mumbai Indians and smashed 156 runs at a strike rate of 156.00. On the bowling front, the 24-year-old has picked up six wickets at an excellent average of 9.16.
When Mumbai clashed against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the fourth game of the marquee tournament, Matthews was at her best with both bat and ball. She bagged three wickets while giving away just 28 runs to help bundle out RCB for 155 runs. Then during the chase, she played a sensational knock of 77* runs off 38 deliveries to take her side to a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Smriti Mandhana & Co.
2. Alyssa Healy (wk)
Alyssa Healy has been a giant of a player in world cricket. The 32-year-old has played 94 ODIs and scored 2639 runs at a strike rate of 100.18. When it comes to the T20Is, the wicketkeeper-batter has accumulated 2489 runs in 141 matches at a strike rate of 126.92.
UP Warriorz acquired the services of Healy at the WPL 2023 auction and handed over the captaincy reins of the side. The Australian batter did not have a great start to the season with the bat and registered scores of 7 and 24 in the game against Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals respectively.
However, in the encounter against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Healy came to her own and knocked the wind out of the opposition’s bowling attack. She plundered 96* runs off 47 deliveries and helped UP hunt down the target of 139 runs in 13 overs itself.
3. Meg Lanning
Meg Lanning has been a bankable name in the international arena. She has been a run-bank with the bat and amassed heaps of runs across formats. Besides her batting might, the veteran batter is arguably the finest cricketing brain in world cricket at the moment and has led Australia to numerous World Cup triumphs.
Lanning was appointed as the captain of Delhi Capitals for the 2023 season of WPL and she has led the side from the front. The ace batter has put up an exhibition of her flamboyant stroke play and provided Delhi with crackling starts. In the first week of the marquee event, she piled up 185 runs in three outings at a strike rate of 146.82.
When Delhi faced RCB in the second game of the ongoing edition of the Women's Premier League, Lanning took the opposition’s bowlers to the cleaners and smashed 72 runs in 43 deliveries. The Delhi skipper put up yet another batting masterclass in the clash against UP Warriorz and played a sensational knock of 70 runs off 42 balls.
4. Nat Sciver-Brunt
Nat Sciver-Brunt is one of the finest all-rounders to have donned the England jersey. The 30-year-old has notched up 3009 runs in 94 ODIs at a strike rate of 94.68 and bagged 65 wickets at an economy of 4.46. Coming to the shortest format, she has aggregated 2175 runs in 108 T20Is and bagged 79 wickets at an economy of 6.47.
Sciver has displayed her class in Women’s Premier League 2023. She has tormented bowlers with her marauding bat and piled up 101 runs in three outings for Mumbai Indians at a strike rate of 153.03. She has been exceptional with the ball too and picked up three wickets at an economy of 7.62.
In the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sciver was simply magnificent with the bat and inflicted carnage on the opposition. The Tokyo-born plundered 55* runs off 29 balls and helped Mumbai hunt down the target of 156 runs inside 15 overs. Also, she took a wicket in the game.
5. Heather Knight
Heather Knight has been a prominent figure in the international arena. The 32-year-old has accumulated 3589 runs in 129 ODIs at an average of 36.25 and bagged 56 wickets at an economy of 4.35. Coming to the T20Is, she has notched up 1583 runs in 98 matches at a strike rate of 118.31 and taken 21 wickets for her side.
Royal Challengers Bangalore signed Knight for WPL 2023 to add depth to the side and the England skipper has been phenomenal in the T20 carnival thus far. She has hammered 66 runs in four games at a stunning strike rate of 188.57 and bagged four wickets for the RCB franchise.
Knight was quite brilliant in the encounter against Gujarat Giants. The ace all-rounder got a prized wicket of Ashleigh Gardner and also dismissed Dayalan Hemalatha to dent the opposition’s progress. And during RCB’s chase, she played a blistering knock of 30* runs off 11 balls. However, her lion-hearted efforted went in vain as Bangalore lost the game by 11 runs.
6. Amelia Kerr
Amelia Kerr has set the international circuit on fire from the time made her New Zealand debut. She has scored 657 runs in 59 matches at a strike rate of 107.88 and bagged 58 wickets at an economy of 5.81. Coming to the ODIs, she has notched up 1362 runs in 59 games at an average of 38.91 and picked up 77 scalps at an economy of 4.45.
Amelia was terrific in the first week of the Women’s Premier League 2023. In the tournament opener against Gujarat Giants, she put the opposition bowlers under the pump with her glorious stroke play and struck 45* runs off 24 deliveries. Her dazzling knock propelled Mumbai Indians to an intimidating total of 207.
Amelia showed her prowess with the ball too and bagged two wickets in the match while giving away 12 runs in two overs. The ace all-rounder was amongst the wickets in the encounter against Royal Challengers Bangalore as well and ended the game with figures of 3.4-0-30-2.
7. Tahlia McGrath
Tahlia McGrath has been a proven performer for Australia across formats. She has scored 357 runs in 22 ODIs at a strike rate of 92.24 and picked up 17 wickets at an economy of 5.09. Coming to the shortest format, the 27-year-old has smashed 615 runs in 27 matches at a strike rate of 142.69 and picked up 13 wickets at an economy of 7.77.
McGrath is a marauder with the bat and has been a vital contributor with the ball in the international circuit. So, UP Warriorz drafted her into their side at the WPL 2023 auction to fill the all-round void in the team and the flamboyant cricketer showed in the first week of the ongoing T20 extravaganza what she is capable of. Tahlia has struck a majestic half-century and bagged two wickets in her three outings.
When UP Warriorz and Delhi Capitals took center stage in the fifth match of the high-profile competition, McGrath took the attack to the opposition from the get-go and played a jaw-dropping knock of 90* runs off 50 deliveries. However, she lacked support from the other end, and eventually, UP lost the game by 42 runs.
8. Sophie Ecclestone
Sophie Ecclestone has been a strike force with the ball in the international arena. She has featured in 55 ODIs and bagged 87 wickets at an economy of 3.68. Coming to the T20 format, the 23-year-old has picked up 97 scalps in 70 matches at an excellent economy of 5.76.
Ecclestone has weaved her magic in the ongoing season of the Women’s Premier League. She has spun the web around the opposition and provided UP Warriorz with timely breakthroughs. The England spinner has featured in three games in the first week of WPL 2023 and bagged seven wickets at an economy of 6.86.
When UP Warriorz clashed against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Ecclestone bamboozled batters with her variations and ripped through RCB’s batting line-up. She registered incredible bowling figures of 3.3-0-10-4. Courtesy of her bowling displays, Bangalore were bundled out for 138.
9. Kim Garth
Kim Garth has been a consistent performer in the international circuit. She has bagged 43 wickets in 54 matches at an economy of 5.92 and scored 762 runs at an average of 23.09. The 26-year-old has taken 23 wickets at an economy of 4.40 and scored 450 runs in those outings.
Kim Garth was outstanding for Gujarat Giants in the first week of the Women’s Premier League 2023. In the encounter against UP Warriorz in the third match of the marquee tournament, defending the target of 170, she made the ball talk at the start of the innings and sent Alyssa Healy, Shweta Sehrawat, and Tahila McGrath back into the hut.
Then the right-arm pacer took two more scalps in the middle phases of the innings to put up her team in a strong position. However, her astonishing five-wicket haul was not enough for Gujarat to trump UP as the latter side won the game by three wickets. The Gujarat franchise would hope Kim plays in the same vein going ahead into the high-profile competition.
10. Tara Norris
Tara Norris is an up and coming talent who has created a lot of buzz with her exploits on the cricket field. The left-arm pacer was fantastic in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022 and took 12 wickets in eight matches at an economy of 4.08. Therefore, Delhi Capitals added her to their repertoire for WPL 2023.
Norris has set the WPL 2023 ablaze with her stunning bowling displays. When Delhi Capitals locked horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second match of the tournament, she was at her best and completely dismantled RCB’s batting line-up. The 24-year-old ended the game with stellar figures of 4-0-29-5.
Norris was awarded the Player of the Match for her spectacular bowling display. She played a total of three matches in the first week of the T20 carnival and took six wickets at an economy of 8.28. The Philadelphia-born would look to carry on the good work for Delhi in the matches to come.
11. Issy Wong
Issy Wong is one of the exciting prospects in England’s cricketing circles. She has made nine appearances for her national side in the T20 format and bagged seven wickets at an economy of 6.25. The 20-year-old has picked up four wickets in three ODIs at an economy of 6.36.
Mumbai Indians picked Wong at the WPL 2023 auction to bolster their fast-bowling stocks and the England pacer has repaid Mumbai by delivering some dazzling performances in the first week of the marquee event. She has featured in three outings and bagged four wickets at a stellar economy of 3.88.
Wong was in her elements in the encounter against Delhi Capitals. She rattled batters with her express pace and wreaked havoc with the ball. The Chelsea-born registered stellar figures of 4-0-10-3 and her impressive showing enabled Harmanpreet Kaur & Co. to bowl out Delhi for a meager 105 runs.
from CricTracker https://ift.tt/SMbyXQ5
No comments:
Post a Comment