Former England fast bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to cricket, receiving the honor at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle after being recognized in His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours 2026.
The award is one of the United Kingdom’s highest civilian honours and recognises individuals who have made significant contributions through public service, professional achievement and lasting impact within their field. For Katherine, it is the latest recognition of a career that helped redefine women’s cricket in England and established her as one of the finest fast bowlers the game has seen.
Photographs from Windsor Castle showed the former England star receiving the honour, adding another milestone to a career already decorated with World Cup titles, Ashes triumphs and a host of individual achievements. Having previously been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours in 2024, Katherine has now formally received the OBE in acknowledgment of her contribution to the sport.
Few players have left a bigger mark on England women’s cricket. Across an international career spanning 18 years, from 2004 to 2022, Katherine represented her country in 267 matches and claimed 335 wickets across all formats. Her record includes 170 wickets in 141 ODIs at an average of 24.00, 114 wickets in 112 T20Is at 19.19 and 51 wickets in just 14 Test matches at an impressive average of 21.52. While her reputation was built on her bowling, Katherine also made valuable contributions with the bat, scoring 1,864 international runs, including a Test half-century and two ODI fifties.
The Yorkshire-born seamer was a central figure during one of the most successful eras in England’s history. In 2009, she helped England complete a historic World Cup double, lifting both the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and the ICC Women’s World T20 in the same year. One of the defining moments of that campaign came at Lord’s, where Katherine produced a match-winning spell of 3/6 against New Zealand in the Women’s World T20 final. It remains one of the most memorable performances of her career and helped secure England’s first global T20 title.
Her impact was equally significant in the Women’s Ashes. Katherine played a key role in England’s 2005 triumph over Australia, a series victory that ended a 42-year wait for the trophy. She claimed 14 wickets across the two Test matches and scored her only Test half-century during the series. Four years later, her first-innings figures of 6/69 at Worcester helped England retain the Ashes.
Beyond the numbers, Katherine became one of the defining figures of a generation that helped transform women’s cricket from a largely amateur pursuit into a fully professional sport. Her intensity, competitiveness and longevity made her a role model for aspiring fast bowlers and an influential figure in the growth of the women’s game.
The OBE also comes at a time when the Sciver-Brunt name remains central to English cricket. Her wife, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, is currently leading the national side in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 and is widely regarded as one of the world’s premier all-rounders. Together, the pair have become two of the most influential figures in the modern women’s game, both on and off the field.
The OBE serves as fitting recognition for a player whose influence stretched far beyond stats. With 335 international wickets, multiple World Cup titles and a lasting contribution to the growth of women’s cricket, Katherine Sciver-Brunt’s place among England’s sporting greats is firmly secure.
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