ESPNcricinfo Awards 2024 Women's T20 leagues bowling nominees: Perry makes merry, Sobhana, Hamilton take five
These bowlers turned matches, snatched victories and broke records with fiery spells
Deepti Unni
30-Jan-2025
Asha Sobhana's 5 for 22 was the third best bowling performance in WPL history • BCCI
Asha Sobhana
5 for 22 vs UP Warriorz
WPL, Bengaluru
Set 158 to win, Warriorz were behind the required rate at 48 for 1 at the start of the ninth over when Sobhana came in to bowl her second over. The 32-year-old legspinner had debutant D Vrinda stumped for 18, and two balls later had Tahlia McGrath bowled trying to sweep. She saved her best for her final spell. With a dangerous 77-run partnership between Grace Harris and Shweta Sehrawat threatening to take the game away from RCB, Sobhana picked them both off in the space of four balls. On the last ball of the over, she had Kiran Navgire, who had survived a big appeal earlier in the over, rushing halfway down the track, swinging at one outside off that beat the bat for a comfortable stumping. Sobhana's was the first five-for by an Indian bowler in the WPL.
5 for 22 vs UP Warriorz
WPL, Bengaluru
Set 158 to win, Warriorz were behind the required rate at 48 for 1 at the start of the ninth over when Sobhana came in to bowl her second over. The 32-year-old legspinner had debutant D Vrinda stumped for 18, and two balls later had Tahlia McGrath bowled trying to sweep. She saved her best for her final spell. With a dangerous 77-run partnership between Grace Harris and Shweta Sehrawat threatening to take the game away from RCB, Sobhana picked them both off in the space of four balls. On the last ball of the over, she had Kiran Navgire, who had survived a big appeal earlier in the over, rushing halfway down the track, swinging at one outside off that beat the bat for a comfortable stumping. Sobhana's was the first five-for by an Indian bowler in the WPL.
Ellyse Perry
6 for 15 vs Mumbai Indians
WPL, Delhi
Six games into her second WPL season, Perry didn't have a single wicket. One game later, she had six. In an outrageous display of swing bowling, Perry triggered a collapse that saw Mumbai Indians fall from 65 for 1 to 82 for 7 in the space of five overs. She went wicketless in her first over, but she picked up two wickets apiece in her remaining three. She bowled Sajeevan Sajana and Harmanpreet Kaur in the ninth, rapped Amelia Kerr on the pads and bowled Amanjot Kaur through the gate in her next, and finished up by flattening Pooja Vastrakar's offstump and trapping Nat Sciver-Brunt leg-before for the best bowling figures in the two years of the WPL.
6 for 15 vs Mumbai Indians
WPL, Delhi
Six games into her second WPL season, Perry didn't have a single wicket. One game later, she had six. In an outrageous display of swing bowling, Perry triggered a collapse that saw Mumbai Indians fall from 65 for 1 to 82 for 7 in the space of five overs. She went wicketless in her first over, but she picked up two wickets apiece in her remaining three. She bowled Sajeevan Sajana and Harmanpreet Kaur in the ninth, rapped Amelia Kerr on the pads and bowled Amanjot Kaur through the gate in her next, and finished up by flattening Pooja Vastrakar's offstump and trapping Nat Sciver-Brunt leg-before for the best bowling figures in the two years of the WPL.
Lauren Bell
4 for 11 vs Northern Superchargers
Women's Hundred, Leeds
Fast bowler Bell was the standout performer in a tense game, her four-for almost scuppering Superchargers' chance of a win. After getting opposition captain Hollie Armitage to sky one to midwicket, Bell bowled five dots at Phoebe Litchfield, conceded a single and pitched one up full and straight to find Marie Kelly's middle stump. Halfway through the innings, with 54 more to get, Annabel Sutherland attempted to smash a Bell half-volley out of the park, but only found height and Georgia Adams safely pouched it at long-on. Bell's final wicket, off the 98th ball of the innings, was the best yet - a pin-point accurate yorker that uprooted Alice Davidson-Richards middle stump - and should have been it for the game, but for Kate Cross who scrambled two off the last ball to produce the first tie in the Women's Hundred.
4 for 11 vs Northern Superchargers
Women's Hundred, Leeds
Fast bowler Bell was the standout performer in a tense game, her four-for almost scuppering Superchargers' chance of a win. After getting opposition captain Hollie Armitage to sky one to midwicket, Bell bowled five dots at Phoebe Litchfield, conceded a single and pitched one up full and straight to find Marie Kelly's middle stump. Halfway through the innings, with 54 more to get, Annabel Sutherland attempted to smash a Bell half-volley out of the park, but only found height and Georgia Adams safely pouched it at long-on. Bell's final wicket, off the 98th ball of the innings, was the best yet - a pin-point accurate yorker that uprooted Alice Davidson-Richards middle stump - and should have been it for the game, but for Kate Cross who scrambled two off the last ball to produce the first tie in the Women's Hundred.
Aaliyah Alleyne
4 for 21 vs Trinbago Knight Riders
WCPL final, Tarouba
It took until the 12th over for Barbados Royals captain Hayley Matthews to introduce Alleyne into the attack in a slow-scoring final, and she struck with her first ball, getting Jannillea Glasgow to miscue one to mid-off. She cleaned up Shikha Pandey in her next over, getting rid of the two batters who had consolidated for Knight Riders after they lost their openers inside three overs. Alleyne then struck twice in the 16th over, bowling Chedean Nation and Zaida James to well and truly put the brakes on Knight Riders' innings at 72 for 7, from where they could only muster an under-par 93 that proved too little to keep Royals from claiming the trophy.
4 for 21 vs Trinbago Knight Riders
WCPL final, Tarouba
It took until the 12th over for Barbados Royals captain Hayley Matthews to introduce Alleyne into the attack in a slow-scoring final, and she struck with her first ball, getting Jannillea Glasgow to miscue one to mid-off. She cleaned up Shikha Pandey in her next over, getting rid of the two batters who had consolidated for Knight Riders after they lost their openers inside three overs. Alleyne then struck twice in the 16th over, bowling Chedean Nation and Zaida James to well and truly put the brakes on Knight Riders' innings at 72 for 7, from where they could only muster an under-par 93 that proved too little to keep Royals from claiming the trophy.
Lucy Hamilton
5 for 8 vs Melbourne Stars
WBBL, Sydney
Hamilton, who skipped schoolies to play the WBBL, became the youngest bowler to take a five-for in the competition's history in this game. She had never taken a wicket in the WBBL in the eight games she'd played back to 2022, but broke her dry spell by removing both openers - Yastika Bhatia and Annabel Sutherland - in her first over. Stars put on 21 runs and then Meg Lanning was next to fall, caught behind edging a half-volley. Hamilton then had Tess Flintoff loft one to mid-off in the 11th over, and trapped Deepti Sharma lbw in the 15th to become the first Heat bowler to take five in the WBBL. Her 5 for 8 are the joint second-best figures in the tournament's history.
5 for 8 vs Melbourne Stars
WBBL, Sydney
Hamilton, who skipped schoolies to play the WBBL, became the youngest bowler to take a five-for in the competition's history in this game. She had never taken a wicket in the WBBL in the eight games she'd played back to 2022, but broke her dry spell by removing both openers - Yastika Bhatia and Annabel Sutherland - in her first over. Stars put on 21 runs and then Meg Lanning was next to fall, caught behind edging a half-volley. Hamilton then had Tess Flintoff loft one to mid-off in the 11th over, and trapped Deepti Sharma lbw in the 15th to become the first Heat bowler to take five in the WBBL. Her 5 for 8 are the joint second-best figures in the tournament's history.
Deepti Unni is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo