Australia’s leading women cricketers will be in focus on February 15 when the Belinda Clark Award, the highest individual honour in Australian women’s cricket, will be presented ahead of the opening T20 International (T20I) against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground. With the traditional Australian Cricket Awards ceremony adjusted due to scheduling clashes, Cricket Australia has opted for an on-ground presentation, fittingly spotlighting a group of players whose performances across formats have defined another strong year for the national side.
The voting period covered a busy stretch of white-ball cricket, including a T20I series in New Zealand, Australia’s bilateral tour of India and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup staged across India and Sri Lanka. Australia enjoyed a dominant run during this period, progressing unbeaten through the group stages of the World Cup before bowing out in the semi-final, and several players emerged with compelling claims for the Belinda Clark Award based on consistency, match impact and statistical excellence.
Beth Mooney enters the awards cycle as one of the standout contenders after producing elite numbers across both T20Is and ODIs. During the three-match T20I series in New Zealand in March, Mooney amassed 166 runs at an average of 83.00 and a strike rate of 167.00, earning player-of-the-series honours and setting the tone at the top of the order. Her ODI form was just as influential, finishing the voting period as Australia’s leading run-scorer with 444 runs at an average of 55.50 across 10 matches.
Among those innings was a crucial World Cup century against Pakistan, an innings that stabilised Australia after early wickets and underlined Mooney’s reputation as one of the most reliable batters in the global game. Already a two-time Belinda Clark Award winner in 2021 and 2023, Mooney’s latest body of work further strengthens her case to add another title.
Defending winner Annabel Sutherland remains firmly in the mix after another all-round season that highlighted her growing importance to the Australian setup. In the ODI format, Sutherland finished as Australia’s leading wicket-taker during the voting window, collecting 17 wickets at an outstanding average of 15.82. Her contributions with the bat were equally valuable, including a commanding 98 not out against England, narrowly missing a maiden ODI century. Sutherland also impressed during the New Zealand T20I series, where she took eight wickets, reinforcing her ability to influence games in multiple disciplines and conditions.
Two-time Belinda Clark Award winner Ashleigh Gardner is another strong contender after delivering impactful performances on the biggest stage. Gardner struck two centuries at the World Cup, against New Zealand and England, and added 10 wickets across the 10 ODIs, once again showcasing her value as a genuine all-rounder. Her ability to shift momentum with both bat and ball has been central to Australia’s success over the past year, and her performances kept her firmly in the awards conversation.
Spin bowler Alana King also enjoyed a standout period, producing one of the most memorable individual performances of the World Cup with match-winning figures of 7/18 against South Africa, an Australian record in women’s ODIs. King finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker, claiming 13 wickets at an average of 17.38, and her control and penetration through the middle overs proved decisive on slower surfaces.
Other players have strengthened their reputations during the cycle, including Georgia Voll, who impressed as an opener in New Zealand with 151 runs at an average of 53.66 and a strike rate of 149.00, while continuing to establish herself at international level. With no women’s Tests played during the voting period where Test performances carry double weighting, sustained excellence in ODIs and T20Is is expected to be the key factor in determining the winner.
Alongside the Belinda Clark Award, the Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year and Women’s Domestic Player of the Year honours will also be announced, ensuring recognition across all levels of the Australian women’s game.
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