The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the 2023 Women’s Cricketer of the Year, recognizing the exceptional efforts of English all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt. This marks her third honor at the ’23 ICC Awards, having been previously named in both the Women’s One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) teams of the Year.
England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt secured the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the second consecutive year, showcasing her prowess with an impressive tally of 894 runs and 9 wickets across 18 games. Notably, she joins the ranks of Australia’s Ellyse Perry and India’s Smriti Mandhana as the only players to have claimed two Women’s Cricketer of the Year titles, with Nat being the first to achieve this feat in consecutive years.
In Tests, Nat accumulated 137 runs from 4 innings, at an average of 34.25, and notched up two fifties – a resilient 78 against Australia and a determined 59 against India. Managing an injury, she bowled just 25 overs across two innings and secured a wicket.
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England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt wins the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year for the second year in a row. #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/XDZw2BRWdd
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In ODIs, Nat showcased her prowess with the bat, amassing 393 runs, including a highest score of 129, from 5 outings. She also contributed with the ball, bagging 3 wickets in as many matches. Her ODI heroics played a pivotal role in England’s victories, including leveling and earning a lead in the multi-format Women’s Ashes series with consecutive centuries. She concluded her successful summer with another impressive ton, scoring an 80-ball 120 against Sri Lanka.
In T20Is, Nat maintained an average of 45.50 and a strike rate of 135.82, accumulating 364 runs from 10 games. During England’s T20 World Cup campaign, she set the tone by top-scoring and registering successive scores of 40*, 5, 50, 81*, and 40. While she fell just short of rewriting her best of 81 in one instance, her standout performance could still be the thrilling 53-ball 77 against India, in India.
Nat, upon receiving the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award, expressed her gratitude stating, “It feels pretty special. I wasn’t expecting it as I was coming up against some players that have done so well in 2023. I’m really pleased and pretty proud. It is one of the top awards you can win coming up against teammates and other international teams. It’s something very special.
“All three other nominees had amazing years and they’ve all done well against us during the past year. Keeping my consistency is something that I’ve wanted to do in the last few years and hopefully, I can go about my processes and my games in the same way this year and I’ll be stood here again.”