ICC Women’s Best ODI Cricketer 2022: ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year – Four stars of the game have been nominated to claim the prestigious award as the ICC ODI Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2022. Follow Latest ICC Awards Updates with InsideSport.IN.
ICC Women’s Best ODI Cricketer 2022: World Cup final stars Alyssa Healy, Nat Sciver favourites, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail also in race
Shabnim Ismail – South Africa
37 wickets from 17 matches
The year that was
Just like a fine wine, Shabnim Ismail continues to get better with age and the South Africa veteran may have even enjoyed the best year of her already illustrious career during 2022.
Ismail’s 2022 started in style as she picked up consecutive four-wicket hauls during South Africa’s home series against the West Indies and she built on those performances to be among the most consistent performers during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.
The 34-year-old collected 14 scalps for the tournament at an average of just 17.50, with her superb spell of 3/27 against the tournament hosts in Hamilton pivotal in helping the Proteas advance to the semi-finals of the event.
And Ismail continued on her merry way after the World Cup as she performed superbly during the away series against Ireland in Dublin and even collected the second five-wicket haul of her glittering ODI career during the series.
Memorable performance
It would have been easy to choose one of the many performances during the World Cup in new Zealand, but Ismail’s standout effort of 2022 had to be the amazing spell of 5/8 against Ireland in Dublin in June.
Ismail ran through Ireland’s strong top four within the first four overs of her spell and the fiery quick didn’t rest on her laurels as she returned at the end of the innings to register just the second five-wicket haul of her career.
It was a brilliant display of quality fast-bowling, with Ireland’s batters unable to lay bat on ball at times and Ismail ending up with the astonishing figures of 5/8 and four maidens from 8.5 overs.
Amelia Kerr – New Zealand
676 runs and 17 wickets from 18 matches
The year that was
New Zealand star Amelia Kerr found some new consistency with her game in 2022 and her results with both bat and ball show she now firmly belongs among the game’s elite.
Kerr commenced the year in scintillating form as she scored three half-centuries and a century during the five-match series against India in Queenstown that was played prior to the commencement of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
While New Zealand were a shade disappointed during the home World Cup, Kerr was a model of consistency as she made a total of 204 runs and picked up nine wickets during the event to continue her stunning run of form.
More runs followed for Kerr during New Zealand’s tour of the West Indies in September, while the 22-year-old was hardly required with the bat during the White Ferns’ most recent series at home against Bangladesh.
Memorable performance
While Kerr produced a number of memorable efforts during the year, the one that really stood out was her match-winning century against India in Queenstown in February.
Kerr came to the crease when the usually reliable Suzie Bates was dismissed in the fifth over, before she took to the world-class India attack with aplomb to successfully guide the White Ferns to a thrilling victory.
The powerful right-hander watched on as a host of her teammates fell around her and had the White Ferns within sight of victory when she brought up just her second ODI century on the final delivery of the 46th over.
Hayley Jensen fell shortly after to potentially throw a spanner in the works, but Jess Kerr joined her sister at the crease and the two stars of New Zealand cricket combined to guide the hosts home and to a 2-0 series lead.
ICC Women’s Best ODI Cricketer 2022: World Cup final stars Alyssa Healy, Nat Sciver favourites, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail also in race
Nat Sciver – England
833 runs and 11 wickets from 17 matches
The year that was
Sciver had a 2022 to remember as she smashed five half-centuries and two centuries to put further accolades on an already impressive resume.
The majority of those big scores came during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, with Sciver helping herself to a team-best 436 runs from the tournament at an average north of 70.
If her exploits during the World Cup weren’t enough, Sciver returned from a short break in December to help England record a 3-0 series sweep over the West Indies in the Caribbean.
During that series Sciver scored knocks of 90 and 85 to unsurprisingly finish as the leading run-scorer for the series with a eye-catching 180 runs at an average of 60.
Memorable performance
It’s a shame that Sciver’s best effort of the year with the bat was in vain, as the polished right-hander produced a knock for the ages during England’s unsuccessful Cricket World Cup final against Australia.
Chasing Australia’s lofty total of 356/5, Sciver dragged her side within striking distance of an unlikely victory with a career best 148* that befitted the high quality of the title decider in Christchurch.
Sciver strode the crease in the seventh over with her side in trouble at 38/2 and was still there at the end despite Australia’s best efforts to unsettle her with a host of different bowlers.
The classy right-hander hit 15 fours and a six during her entertaining 121-ball stay and seemingly just ran out of partners in the end as England were dismissed in the 44th over as Australia claimed the title.
Alyssa Healy – Australia
629 runs, eight catches and four stumpings from 12 matches
The year that was
Healy’s year of 50-over cricket started in Canberra during Australia’s successful Ashes campaign against England, but 2022 was all about the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand which commenced at the start of March.
The Australia opener started that tournament with a decent 28 against England in Hamilton and then followed it up with a superb 72 against Pakistan in Mount Maunganui.
A pair of low scores followed for Healy – 15 against New Zealand and three against the West Indies – before the 32-year-old struck an important 72 from just 65 deliveries during Australia’s crcuail group match against India in Auckland.
But it was during the cut-throat knockout matches that Healy really stood out, with the right-hander scoring back-to-back centuries in the semi-final and final to help Australia clinch a seventh World Cup title.
In the end, Healy finished the tournament with a whopping 509 runs at an imposing average of 56 and it was no surprise that she was named Player of the Series.
Memorable performance
The best players often save their best performances for the biggest of stages and this certainly rings true for Healy who produced a superb individual effort in the Women’s World Cup final against England in Christchurch.
Healy smashed a career-best 170 from just 138 deliveries in the title decider, combining handsomely with fellow opener Rachael Haynes to put on 160 for the opening wicket and then another partnership of 156 alongside Beth Mooney as Australia quickly took control of the title decider.
The Australia opener was eventually out in the 46th over, but not before she had smashed 26 boundaries, produced one of the best innings of all time and put her side in a dominant position.
ICC Women’s Best ODI Cricketer 2022: World Cup final stars Alyssa Healy, Nat Sciver favourites, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail also in race
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Editors pick
