On December 4, the mighty Australian Women’s Cricket T20 team won the prestigious Don Award at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame awards. The Don Award, first given in 1998, was named after Sir Donald Bradman and recognizes a current Australian athlete or team that most inspired the nation with their achievements over the past 12 months.
The Australian women’s cricket team has been on a roll for quite some time now. Early this year, the team won its fifth World T20 title by beating India at the iconic MCG in front of a record crowd of 86,174 people. The finale was considered one of, if not the most significant moment in Australian female team sporting history. That win was the second consecutive World T20 victory for the Aussies, having beaten England in West Indies in 2018.
There is no doubt that the Australian team’s sheer dominance in women’s cricket is second to none, which is evident from the fact that the Australian team ranks number one in women’s ODI as well as women’s T20I.
The Australia team, under the able aegis of star batter Meg Lanning, boasts of superstars like Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry, who have been around with the team for over a decade. The wealth of experience and the bounty of talent that the team possesses are truly impeccable.
“The Australian Women’s Team is one of the most dominant and successful sporting teams this country has ever seen and we’re so proud of what they continue to achieve individually and as a group,” CA’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley said.
“To see them lift the T20 World Cup trophy in front of more than 86,000 fans was a moment I and a lot of people around Australia will remember for a long time.
“There’s no doubt they had to overcome plenty of hurdles to even get to that final, but to see them excel under pressure was a true show of the character and fight this team possesses.
“Led wonderfully by Meg, Matthew and vice-captain, Rachael Haynes, this is an incredible group of women who continue to drive high standards. It’s not easy for any team to achieve sustained success, but this team continues to find ways to take the game to a new level.
“Sport has a wonderful ability to unite and inspire people and we’re so proud of the Australian Women’s Team as role models both on and off the field.”
Quotes from cricket.com.au
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.