ESPNcricinfo Awards 2023 Women's T20 league batting nominees: Devine wrath, amazing Grace
Innings from the WBBL, WPL, WCPL and Women's Hundred feature in our shortlist
Firdose Moonda
28-Jan-2024
Sophie Devine's 99 was the highest score in the WPL • BCCI
Sophie Devine
99 vs Gujarat Giants
WPL, Mumbai
Set 189 to win, RCB were off a flier thanks to Devine. She had 25 runs nine balls into her innings and 50 off 20 in a gobsmacking demonstration of power-hitting. Her shots would have cleared a 90-metre boundary; this one was just 48. In total, she hit nine fours and eight sixes and shared in a 125-run first-wicket stand with Smriti Mandhana to give RCB their second win (in seven games) and register both the tournament's highest run chase and its individual highest score.
99 vs Gujarat Giants
WPL, Mumbai
Set 189 to win, RCB were off a flier thanks to Devine. She had 25 runs nine balls into her innings and 50 off 20 in a gobsmacking demonstration of power-hitting. Her shots would have cleared a 90-metre boundary; this one was just 48. In total, she hit nine fours and eight sixes and shared in a 125-run first-wicket stand with Smriti Mandhana to give RCB their second win (in seven games) and register both the tournament's highest run chase and its individual highest score.
Tammy Beaumont
118 vs Trent Rockets
The Hundred, Cardiff
Beaumont hit the highest score in the Hundred - by any player, male or female - in a fierce display of her ability. She scored 32 runs off the first 14 balls she faced before being dropped at deep backward square, and she made Trent Rockets pay. Her fifty came off 25 balls and the next fifty off 27 as she alternated between sweeps and cuts while also bringing out the straight drive. More than two-thirds of her runs - 80 - came in fours, and she also hit two sixes, batting through to the penultimate ball of the innings.
118 vs Trent Rockets
The Hundred, Cardiff
Beaumont hit the highest score in the Hundred - by any player, male or female - in a fierce display of her ability. She scored 32 runs off the first 14 balls she faced before being dropped at deep backward square, and she made Trent Rockets pay. Her fifty came off 25 balls and the next fifty off 27 as she alternated between sweeps and cuts while also bringing out the straight drive. More than two-thirds of her runs - 80 - came in fours, and she also hit two sixes, batting through to the penultimate ball of the innings.
Hayley Matthews
82 vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Women's CPL final, Tarouba
A title-winning knock from Matthews formed the spine of the Barbados Royals innings, where only two other batters got into double figures. Matthews allowed herself the time to settle in, with 18 runs off the first 22 balls, but then accelerated and scored 64 off the next 37. She was particularly productive on the pull and struck three of her ten fours and one of her two sixes with that shot. Barbados Royals totalled 169, which was enough to beat Guyana by eight runs.
82 vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Women's CPL final, Tarouba
A title-winning knock from Matthews formed the spine of the Barbados Royals innings, where only two other batters got into double figures. Matthews allowed herself the time to settle in, with 18 runs off the first 22 balls, but then accelerated and scored 64 off the next 37. She was particularly productive on the pull and struck three of her ten fours and one of her two sixes with that shot. Barbados Royals totalled 169, which was enough to beat Guyana by eight runs.
Grace Harris
136 vs Perth Scorchers
WBBL, North Sydney
In a stunning riposte to being left out of the national team to play West Indies, Harris smashed the WBBL record for the highest individual score, and broke the record for the most sixes - 11 - as well as her bat (one of her big hits came as the handle ripped off the blade). She switched it out and sent the very next ball for six too. Her hundred came off 48 balls and she went on to add 33 runs off the next 11 balls as Brisbane Heat got to a formidable 229 for 7.
136 vs Perth Scorchers
WBBL, North Sydney
In a stunning riposte to being left out of the national team to play West Indies, Harris smashed the WBBL record for the highest individual score, and broke the record for the most sixes - 11 - as well as her bat (one of her big hits came as the handle ripped off the blade). She switched it out and sent the very next ball for six too. Her hundred came off 48 balls and she went on to add 33 runs off the next 11 balls as Brisbane Heat got to a formidable 229 for 7.
Beth Mooney
101 not out vs Sydney Thunder
WBBL, Melbourne
Mooney held together an innings that slipped to 63 for 3 in the tenth over with a well-paced knock that saw her reach 50 off 36 balls in the 13th over and a hundred on the last ball of the innings. Her second fifty runs came in 25 balls. She struck 17 fours but no sixes, only had one partner who stayed with her for more than 26 runs (Chloe Piparo), and singlehandedly gave Perth Scorchers a match-winning total. Mooney also finished the WBBL as the leading run-scorer, with a tournament average of 50.63.
101 not out vs Sydney Thunder
WBBL, Melbourne
Mooney held together an innings that slipped to 63 for 3 in the tenth over with a well-paced knock that saw her reach 50 off 36 balls in the 13th over and a hundred on the last ball of the innings. Her second fifty runs came in 25 balls. She struck 17 fours but no sixes, only had one partner who stayed with her for more than 26 runs (Chloe Piparo), and singlehandedly gave Perth Scorchers a match-winning total. Mooney also finished the WBBL as the leading run-scorer, with a tournament average of 50.63.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent for South Africa and women's cricket