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2023 was a landmark year for women's cricket by some fair distance. Beginning with a successful Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa as well as the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL), to the consecutive Tests in India that are bound to make red-ball cricket a common sight in the women's game moving forward.
Australia showcased their dominance throughout the year by winning the Women's T20 World Cup as well as the Ashes, and the triumphs were glittered with several brilliant individual performances. Furthermore, players from other sides also made their presence felt, with a hoard of new cricketers making their presence felt through the 2023 WPL.
Apart from the WPL, other franchise-based leagues like The Hundred as well as the WBBL continued to maintain their success. Although scarce, bilateral action also helped the players to build on their form and deliver for the team.
There is a lot to look forward to in 2024 when it comes to women's cricket, with the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh as well as the second edition of the WPL being the key attractions.
As we head into 2024, let us take a short glimpse at some of the exceptional bowling displays in women's cricket last year.
#1 Hayley Matthews (5-3; MI vs DC; WPL 2023 Final; Brabourne Stadium)
The West Indies all-rounder initially went unsold in the inaugural WPL auction and was roped in by the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the accelerated round during the dying stages of the event. Bought for her base price of ₹40 lakh, she ended up being one of the best buys as she was named the most valuable player for her exploits.
Apart from her hard-hitting play at the top of the order, she was also quite handy with her off-spin bowling. She was prolific with both bat and ball throughout the tournament, but she saved her best bowling effort for the final against the Delhi Capitals (DC).
Matthews ended with figures of 5-3 off her four overs, including two maidens. She took the key wicket of Jemimah Rodriguez and dismantled the lower order singlehandedly to reduce the opposition to 79-9.
#2 Marizanne Kapp (5-15; DC vs GG; WPL 2023, DY Patil Stadium)
The South Africa all-rounder was one of the best players for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the inaugural WPL season. With her 177 runs and nine wickets across the tournament, she played a huge role in the franchise's dominant run in the league stage.
She picked up a memorable five-wicket haul in DC's thumping win over the Gujarat Giants (GG) at the DY Patil Stadium. The right-arm pacer blew through the opposition's top order, reducing them to 18-4 in the fourth over. It was an exhibition of fast bowling as Kapp made the new ball talk, right from the first ball itself.
Kapp completed her five-wicket haul as early as the seventh over, and her memorable spell resulted in GG being restricted to a paltry 105-9.
#3 Renuka Singh Thakur (5-15; India vs England; 2023 Women's T20 World Cup, Gqeberha)
Renuka Singh Thakur had quite the year in 2023, leading India's pace unit at the Women's T20 World Cup, representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the WPL, and culminating the year by making her Test debut.
One of the high points of her year comes in the form of her performance in the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup group stage encounter against England in Gqeberha. She picked up figures of 5-15, which is only bettered by Jhulan Goswami among Indian women in T20Is.
The pacer dismissed Danni Wyatt for a golden duck and also got rid of Alice Capsey and Sophie Dunkley inside the powerplay itself. She completed her fifer in the final over with consecutive wickets.
However, her exceptional bowling display came in a losing cause as India fell 11 runs short of the 151-run target set by England.
#4 Ashleigh Gardner (8-66; Australia vs England; Ashes Test, Nottingham)
Much like her peers, Ashleigh Gardner also had a memorable 2023. She was one of the most expensive acquisitions at the inaugural WPL Auction and was the player of the match in the lone Ashes Test against England at Trent Bridge.
The off-spinner took matters into her own hands on the final day of the Test when England were still in the contest. She took all of the remaining five wickets on Day 5 to finish with figures of 8-66 as Australia won by 89 runs. It marked only the second instance where a bowler picked up eight wickets in an innings in a women's Test.
Gardner had claimed four wickets in the first innings as well, as her match figures read 12-165.
#5 Deepti Sharma (5-7; India vs England Test; DY Patil Stadium)
The Indian all-rounder is in fine form at the moment and played a crucial role in the team's recent Test wins over Australia and England.
She was at her prolific all-round best in the one-off Test against England at the DY Patil Stadium. Deepti Sharma scored a fifty in the first innings that helped India post a total over 400.
She rattled the England middle and lower order with figures of 5-7 as the visitors scored only 136. Deepti almost claimed a 10-wicket haul after picking up four wickets in the second innings as India won by 347 runs.
Who produced the best spell of bowling in women's cricket last year? Let us know what you think.
