Just three and a half years since making her international debut, 29-year-old Australian leg-spin bowling all-rounder Alana King now has her landmark moment in her career. With 101 international wickets across formats, King enters the prestigious 100-wicket club in women’s cricket.
She reached this mark in quick time, becoming a key figure in Australia’s dominance across formats. Alyssa Healy’s Australia were up against New Zealand, led by skipper Sophie Devine, in their campaign opener at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, in the 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025.
Australia posted a challenging total of 326 before getting bundled out after skipper Alyssa Healy won the toss and opted to bat first. She got her 100th scalp when she picked up the crucial wicket of Amelia Kerr, 33 (56 balls), breaking a crucial 75-run stand for the 3rd wicket between her and skipper Sophie Devine.
She returned with impressive match figures of 8-1-44-2, adding another crucial scalp of Brooke Halliday (28 off 38 balls) in her spell. Australia survived a spirited effort from the New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine (111 off 112 balls) to seal the game by 89 runs.
With the ongoing 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, unfolding on subcontinental pitches well-suited for spinners, the milestone has been an icing on the cake.
ODI cricket has been King’s most potent format since her debut against England at Canberra on 3rd February 2022. In just 39 innings, she has already captured 61 wickets at a remarkable average of 19.57 and an economy of 4.43, underscoring her control as much as her wicket-taking ability.
Her best ODI figures came earlier this year on 17th January 2025 at Hobart, when she dismantled England with an inspired spell of 8.2-0-46-5, handing Australia an emphatic 86-run win in the third ODI. With two four-wicket hauls and a five-wicket haul in the format, King has elevated herself into the tier of premier ODI spinners, providing breakthroughs in crucial middle overs and proving a decisive force in Australia’s one-day campaigns.
King’s entry into international cricket came in T20Is against England on 20th January 2022 in Adelaide, and she quickly proved her worth in the shortest format. From 27 T20Is, she has collected 27 wickets at an average of 18.81 while maintaining an economy rate of 6.49.
Her most iconic spell in the format remains the 4-1-8-4 against Barbados during the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, a performance that set the stage for Australia’s eventual gold-medal triumph under Meg Lanning. For a team accustomed to pressure situations, King’s ability to strike with control in high-stakes matches has been vital, turning tight games on their head.
Though opportunities in Test cricket remain scarce, King has made every outing count, taking 13 wickets in five matches at an average of 26.15. Known for her patience in long spells, she carries an economy of 2.63, a rare quality for a leg-spinner in the longest format.
Her crowning jewel came in the Women’s Ashes Test at Melbourne on 30th January 2025, where she bowled a marathon across two innings to end with 46.4-15-98-9, including a four-wicket haul and a five-wicket haul. That performance sealed her Player of the Series award across the historic 2025 Women’s Ashes, where she took 23 wickets overall to spearhead Australia’s unforgettable 16-0 whitewash of England.
Ahead of the 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, Alana King had inched closer to her milestone during the first ODI against India at New Chandigarh, where she returned with figures of 6-1-28-1 in Australia’s 8-wicket victory. The leg-spinner eventually brought up her 100th international scalp on Indian soil in their campaign opener against New Zealand in Indore on 1st October 2025.
King’s landmark coincided perfectly with the bigger stage, achieving it in the first game of their campaign in the 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, held in India and Sri Lanka from 30th September to 2nd November. Leg-spinner Alana King’s presence as Australia’s primary leg-spin option will be central to their title defence bid, as Australia move forward in the tournament.
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