The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the nominees for the Women’s Player Of The Month (POTM) for February 2024, featuring a diverse lineup of talent.
Among the contenders is an Australian star who recently jotted her name in cricketing history by scoring the fastest double hundred in Test cricket, alongside her are two formidable players from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), each showcasing remarkable achievements in their recent performance; one stands out as the highest run-getter in her team’s triumphant campaign in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Women’s Premier Cup, meanwhile her fellow national impressed with a stellar all-round display as the second highest run-getter while also making significant contributions as the joint fourth highest wicket-taker in the ACC tournament.
Annabel Sutherland (Australia)
Annabel Sutherland’s performance in the one-off test against South Africa was nothing short of remarkable. In just four matches, she amassed 229 runs and took seven wickets leaving her incredible mark. Before the test series, Sutherland played a crucial role in Australia’s victory in the ODI series contributing with both bat and ball.
Her versatility as an all-rounder proved invaluable to the team’s success at the test match. Opting to bowl first Australia quickly dismantled South Africa at 76 runs, with Sutherland’s medium fast pace accounting for key wickets including Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, and Delmi Tucker, however, it was Sutherland’s batting prowess that truly stole the show.
In an extraordinary display of skill and determination, she notched up a rapid double century reaching the milestone in just 248 balls. This achievement set a new record for the fastest double century in women’s cricket surpassing the previous record held by Karen Rolton. By achieving this feat, Sutherland joined an elite group of cricketers as the ninth woman to score a double hundred in a Test match and the fifth Australian to do so. Overall, at the young age of 22, she became the second youngest double centurion in Test cricket trailing only Mithali Raj’s record at 19 years.
Sutherland’s fiery innings came to an end at 210 runs by Chloe Tryon, just three runs short of Ellyse Perry’s record of 213, the highest individual score in women’s test cricket by an Australian. Nonetheless, her performance will be remembered as one of the most extraordinary displays of talent and skill in the history of women’s cricket. She is one of the nominees for ICC Player of the Month
Kavisha Egodage (UAE)
Throughout six matches in the ACC Women’s Premier Cup, Kavisha Egodage showcased her prowess with the bat and ball, accumulating a total of 218 runs and claiming eight wickets. She closely trailed her team captain Esha Oza in the run-scoring leaderboard, establishing herself as a vital asset for the UAE. Egodage’s campaign commenced with a stellar all-round performance against China where her remarkable efforts earned her the Player Of The Match award. In that game, she accumulated a commanding 69 runs off 61 balls guiding UAE to a formidable total of 155 runs against 1 wicket. Subsequently, she showcased her bowling prowess by claiming three crucial wickets with her off-spin.
Throughout the tournament, Egodage remained consistent with the bat putting up scores of 38, 34, 26, and 21. While also contributing with the ball picking up four wickets in the finals. Egodage played a key role contributing crucial 30 runs and forming a vital 84-run opening partnership with her captain. Furthermore, she displayed her all-around capabilities by adding another wicket to her stats, thus securing a 37-run victory over Malaysia. Her stellar tournament performance played a major role in UAE’s triumph in securing the trophy and a ticket to the forthcoming Asia Cup. She is one of the nominees for ICC Player of the Month
Esha Oza (UAE)
Esha Oza, the ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the year 2022, amassed 249 runs and claimed two wickets in six matches of the ACC Women’s Premier Cup, leading by example as the captain of the UAE team. Esha’s stellar performances played a significant role in her team’s triumph in the tournament.
Esha’s batting prowess was evident from the start of the tournament, as she began with 36 off 32 balls against China. She then showcased her extraordinary talent with a remarkable innings of unbeaten 114 off 69 balls, registering her third century in T20I. In the second game against Oman, although she faced some setbacks in the subsequent matches, she displayed her composure and skill by contributing an unbeaten 24 during UAE’s successful chase against Japan.
However, it was in the tournament final, against Malaysia, where Esha played a crucial inning scoring 53 runs against 51 balls which included three boundaries and a maximum. Her innings took UAE to a formidable total of 105, furthermore, she also made contributions with the ball, taking a wicket. Malaysia ended up with a total of 68 against 9 wickets, securing a 37-run victory for UAE. In the final, her outstanding performance not only earned her the Player of the Match award, but also the prestigious Player of the Tournament title acknowledging her exceptional display throughout the competition. She is one of the nominees for ICC Player of the Month