We are in the last month of 2021 which was yet another eventful year after a tough 2020. Learning to live with Covid-19, we tried bringing back the lost normal following all necessary precautions. The hustle and bustle of cities were back but above all what was back was Sports especially Cricket, along with its ever-excited fans.
While men had their T20 World Cup, Indian Premier League (IPL), and other series, women had a number of great series along with a couple of domestic leagues as well. This article focuses on women batters who managed to end the year on a high note, making it to the top 5 run-scorers list of 2021:
1. Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
Leading by a good margin with 632 ODI runs this year is South Africa’s, Lizelle Lee. Playing 11 matches for the Proteas, Lee has had a very successful year smashing the year’s highest ODI individual score, an unbeaten 132 in March this year against India, sharing it with Deandra Dottin of West Indies. She also made five half-centuries (83*, 69, 91*, 78*, 61) at an average of 90.28 with a total of 81 fours and five sixes this year.
2. Mithali Raj (India) & Tammy Beaumont (England)
Mithali Raj
The all-time leading scorer of women’s cricket, Mithali Raj finds her place as the second-highest ODI run-scorer of 2021 sharing it with English cricketer Tammy Beaumont. The legend from India recorded 503 runs in 11 matches/10 innings at the average of 62.87 hitting 48 fours and 3 sixes with the most number of 50+ scores this year (6) drawing it with Lee. Raj’s highest score this year, 79 not out came against South Africa earlier in March.
Tammy Beaumont
The opener from England, Tammy Beaumont equals her 2021 ODI runs with Raj. Beaumont recorded her highest individual score for the year (102) in the last match she played in September against New Zealand. She took 11 matches/innings to reach the milestone, smashing four half-centuries as well and hitting 60 fours and a six at an average of 62.87.
3. Deandra Dottin
The woman from West Indies who is ranked third, shared the highest individual ODI score this year (132) with the year’s leading run-scorer, Lee. Scoring a century early last month against Pakistan and two half-centuries, Dottin made 460 ODI runs at 38.33 in 14 matches/13 innings, getting the most number of runs (84) from the boundaries in WODI this year.
4. Laura Wolvaardt
The fourth in the list is the 22-years old from South Africa, Laura Wolvaardt who stands just 40 runs behind Dottin at 420 from 12 matches/innings. Sending 56 balls to the boundary and making 5 half-centuries this year, Wolvaardt had an average of 40.00 and the highest score of 80 which she got in March on the Indian soil.
5. Heather Knight
With 423 runs in 11 matches/innings, England’s captain, all-rounder Heather Knight is the fifth one. Knight got a century (101) and three half-centuries at the average of 42.30 hitting 44 fours and a six this year. Her century came in September against the White Ferns.
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