There have been numerous significant moments, transformative innings, events that got people talking and stand out players this year. From fake Mankads to record-breaking innings, International centuries to revenge innings, here are the 10 moments that have stuck in my head from the past year and why I find them so significant.
1. Marie Kelly’s record breaking 50 from 15 balls (2nd May)
The first game of the women’s cricket season I attended was Warwickshire against Gloucestershire in two T20s at Thornbury CC in Bristol. It was a typical drizzly, English day but Marie Kelly was not going to let that dampen her batting. In the first match, Kelly hit 99 from 61 balls, being stumped by Katie Jones — who she has previously coached! The Bears won by 120 runs, triumphing over the Gloucestershire side. In the second match, Marie continued with a similar style of batting. She hit 60 runs from 27 balls, 50 of those runs coming from 15 balls. This became the fastest recorded half-century in Women’s T20 cricket.
2. Lauren Winfield-Hill 96 in the opening game of the Charlotte Edwards Cup (14th May)
It seems to be that I am always present during big innings! Lauren Winfield-Hill’s innings of 96 came against Lightning in the opening game of the Charlotte Edwards Cup. Winfield-Hill’s innings only came from 51 balls but she was denied her century when she was caught by Bethan Ellis off the bowling of captain Kathryn Bryce. Not only was this the highest individual score of the tournament but it ignited her run-scoring form and was the start of what was a transformative summer for her. After being omitted from the England women’s team during the 2022 Ashes, Winfield-Hill found herself with nothing to lose. This new found freedom led her to become the leading run scorer in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy with 470 runs and was the forth top run scorer in the Hundred, totalling 219 runs from 161 balls.
3. Sunrisers v Western Storm goes down to the final ball (18th May)
It was a very tense night in Chelmsford on the 18th May! Sunrisers set a respectable 160/5 — teenager Grace Scrivens top scoring with 56 from 42 deliveries. It was by no means a strong performance with the ball by Western Storm. In the Storm’s batting innings, Heather Knight, Nat Wraith and Dani Gibson all hit 27 but it was Katie George who top scored with 34. With debutant Sophia Smale at the crease, Alex Griffiths took control. It all went down to the final ball and overthrows from one of England’s best fielders, Mady Villiers, left the Sunrisers defeated. It was a game that got Twitter talking but also set the precedent for the rest of Sunrisers’ season.
4. Emma Lamb’s maiden international century (11th July)
Having strong roots in Preston myself, the thought of another sporting star from Preston establishing themselves is always exciting. Emma Lamb made her England debut back in February during the Ashes. Unfortunately, on debut she was dismissed without scoring and then did not bat in her one opportunity in the World Cup. On the 11th of July, Lamb was given her next change — this time against South Africa and on home soil. In a winning cause, Lamb hit 102 from 97 balls, continuing to consecutive half-centuries in England’s next two ODIs.
5. Alex Hartley 6/24 in a losing cause against South East Stars (16th July)
For around the past year it’s been clear that Alex Hartley’s priority has been her cricket media career — and rightly so. She’s a good cricketer but a world-class commentator! Missing the entirety of winter training and pre-season, Hartley came into the season seemingly undercooked but her performances said otherwise. Against the South East Stars, Alex took 6/24, including five maidens — recording the best figures in Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy history. Although it was a poignant innings for Hartley as an individual, Thunder still managed to lose the match, reflecting their weak batting in the early part of the season.
6. Tammy Beaumont’s century after T20 omission (18th July)
Tammy Beaumont has been apart of England’s batting order since 2009. For context, I had not even turned five when she made her debut. Her consistency with the bat made her omission from the T20 squad for the inaugural Commonwealth Games even more puzzling. It was her low strike rate which was cited as the reason so her innings of 119 from 107 balls at Leicester on one of the hottest days of the year was very significant. Although she is yet to return to the T20 side, the style in which she played days after the squad was announced was absolutely class!
7. Alice Capsey’s maiden half-century in the Commonwealth Games (2nd August)
Alice Capsey has been tipped as England’s next star for a number of years. From making her way through the Surrey ranks to scoring a half-century at Lords for Oval Invincibles aged 16, Capsey has been surpassing all expectations. Her call up to England came in the series against South Africa before the Commonwealth Games. It was in that Commonwealth Games that Capsey truly announced herself on the international stage. With a black eye from an accident in the warm up, Alice hit 50 from 37 deliveries, aiding England to a 26-run win over South Africa. Capsey really carried the batting order throughout the games and was one of very few consistent players in that tournament.
8. Sophia Smale taking Alyssa Healy’s wicket in the Hundred (11th August)
When 17 year old Sophia Smale was announced as an injury replacement, signing for the Oval Invincibles, she did not even expect to be in the playing XI. As one of the younger players and only recently debuting for her region, Western Storm, Smale was one of the more unknown players in the competition. Weeks before the tournament, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sophia before she found out she was going to be part of the Hundred. We joked about the fact that she seemingly only takes the wicket of A-Listers but this joke proved itself to be true. In the opening game of the Hundred, against Northern Superchargers, Smale dismissed Australian legend, Alyssa Healy with only her second delivery of the competition. This was Sophia’s moment of announcing herself to the big stage and has probably been one of the factors in her recent professional contract and her call up to England U19s.
9. Liberty Heap 36* from 18 balls at Old Trafford (18th September)
Liberty Heap is another player who’s name has been around the women’s cricket world for a few years. Heap only played the final two games of the season for Thunder, the first game ending in heavy defeat against the Vipers. The final game, against Western Storm was Heap’s first opportunity to play at Old Trafford, something she had dreamt of when she first joined the Lancashire set up. Her innings came at a crucial point in the game and although Thunder were defeated, Heap’s performance was outstanding, clearing the huge boundaries of Old Trafford.
10. Charlie Dean’s fake Mankad in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Final (25th September)
Naturally, most of the focus of that weekend ended up being on Deepti Sharma running out Charlie Dean at the non-strikers end in a controversial finish to England Women’s series against India. However, for me, a moment that stand out in my mind was the day after where Dean played for the Southern Vipers against Northern Diamonds in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Final. Social media has exploded with all opinions on the ‘Mankad’ incident voiced. Charlie Dean handled the situation very well, breaking all awkwardness when she pretended to Mankad Linsey Smith at the non-strikers end. Although she says herself that she would never really Mankad someone, it felt like the moment she was drawing a line under it and making light relief of the situation. It was also just quite a funny moment and reflected Dean’s personality.
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