Women’s Cricket really flourished in 2022 and we witnessed so many memorable feats besides the numerous unforgettable performances and moments. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of moments that will be etched in our memories forever!
India winning the Women’s Asia Cup 2022
India has had an up-and-down year but it really won the hearts of fans by winning the Women’s Asia Cup 2022. India defeated Sri Lanka by an 8-wicket margin. For the seventh time, India has won the Asia Cup.
Heather Knight’s 168* and 48 in the Women’s Ashes
In the Women’s Ashes match, Heather Knight scored 168* and followed it up with a brilliant 48 in what was a memorable and pulsating women’s Ashes test encounter. She deservingly won the ‘Player of the Match’ award and her knock served as a timely reminder of why we need more Women’s tests.
Deepika Rasangika scored an unbelievable 161 vs Saudi Arabia
The 38-year-old former Sri Lankan but now Bahraini batsman’s remarkable knock included 31 fours and a whopping 161 runs off just 66 balls. Rasangika set the mark while representing Bahrain versus Saudi Arabia. The Bahrain Women’s side set a new record by scoring 318 runs in the allocated 20 overs, the best T20I total in women’s cricket history, with just one wicket lost.
Laura Wolvaardt and Simran Dil Bahadur 44* off 19 in the Women’s T20 Challenge
When the team was facing an unavoidable loss in the final against Velocity in the Women’s T20 Challenge this year, Simran Dil Bahadur stepped up with a 10-ball 20*, swinging her bat emphatically to send whatever she could across the boundary line. Bahadur and Wolvaardt who stitched a lovely partnership were close to giving Velocity the much-needed win, but the experienced Sophie Ecclestone kept her composed in the decisive over, depriving her rivals off their first crown by four runs.
England vs South Africa: One-off Test and Remarkable Performances
In another display of fantastic test cricket, the England vs South Africa test match really lived up to the billing although it turned out to be a draw. Be it Marizanne Kapp’s 150 and her match-saving 43 and the partnership with Temi Sekhukhane, Nat Sciver’s astonishing 169; the test match had it all and served as an advertisement for women’s tests.
Alyssa Healy’s 170 and Nat Sciver’s 148* knock in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022
Alyssa Healy broke numerous records while playing an inning for the ages. Her 170 off 138-ball innings against England is the best score in an ICC Cricket World Cup final (men or women) and helped Australia win the ODI World Cup. England’s Nat Sciver contributed another notable performance to the game, albeit in a losing cause as she hit a valiant unbeaten 148, which ranks as the second-highest score in women’s cricket history and the third-highest score in a World Cup final.
Finalising of the schedule for U19 Women’s World Cup by ICC & the inclusion of cricket in the Commonwealth Games 2022
The ICC announced the U19 Women’s World Cup which is a welcome step in the right direction and has certainly excited all the fans who will get to see youngsters square off in the shortest format. Another major first was how cricket specifically women’s cricket was included in the coveted Commonwealth Games. We witnessed top-quality matches and Australia defeated India to win the Gold Medal was another takeaway.
Equal Pay & Women’s IPL announcement by the BCCI
BCCI took a lot of iconic decisions this year. One among them being the equal pay policy. According to the BCCI’s new pay equity policy, which was announced in October of this year, all appearances by centrally contracted women cricketers in India in international matches will now be compensated with the same match fee as those made by men in the nation. Another addition to the list of much-needed reforms is the long-awaited implementation of the Women’s IPL that will begin in 2023. The BCCI made the historic decision to launch the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL). Given the rising recognition and popularity of women’s cricket in India, the WIPL will take place in March 2023, and the competition will be nothing short of extraordinary.
Female umpires for Ranji Trophy and Sue Redfern became the 1st umpire in first-class cricket
Three female umpires, Vrinda Rathi, Janani Narayan, and Gayathri Venugopalan will be officiating in the Ranji Trophy and later the India vs Australia series made history. Sue Redfern also made history as England’s first female first-class cricket umpire.
Crowds for India vs Australia series
The Indian women’s cricket team’s exciting Super Over victory over the Australian women in the second T20I was seen by a packed house of 45,000 people at the DY Patil Stadium, helping the host tie the series at 1-1 on Sunday. The home team received a lot of applause and encouragement throughout the series in the DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium. Considering the Women’s IPL will debut in March of the following year, these are encouraging signs!
Baby Fatima at the WC at the India-Pak match
Baby Fatima, the daughter of Pakistani captain Bismah Maroof was the most adorable addition to the Women’s World Cup and has won all hearts. After India defeated Pakistan, images of Fatima being cooed over by Indian players went viral. Given the current political climate between the two nations, no one missed the significance of the cute moment.
I am a first year postgraduate student pursuing a MA in Media and Communication Studies at Christ University, Bengaluru. I am a podcaster, blogger and an avid cricket fan. When not glued to cricket matches, you can find me submerged in books and thinking about cricket all the time.
