6 women cricket stars to look forward to in the World T20 2016

With the Irish and Bangladeshi ladies having got their qualifications for the upcoming mega-event and the teams already been assorted in the group divisions, it spices up to be the most enthralling women’s T-20 competition till date with ten teams in the frame.Many female superstars are already plying their trade in the inaugural Women Big Bash in Australia, to get the pre-requisite match-practice before the World Cup.So now that, top female cricketers are getting franchise cricket experience both home and abroad, very much like their male counterparts, here is a list of those top female cricketers, whose proven track records would perhaps turn them into excellent match-winners for their teams in the subcontinent carnival and give plenty of viewership excitement as well.

#1 Meg Lanning

Lanning leads from the front

The winner of this year’s ICC ODI Women’s cricketer of the year award and the scorer of the blistering 126 runs off 65 balls against Ireland couple of years back, Lanning has been very consistent in this format, averaging nearly 32 with the bat, in her opening batting slot.

In this year’s Women’s Big Bash, she has slammed three fifties in the opening three matches for the Melbourne Stars, which has sealed four victories for her outfit in the first five encounters, with a loss in their very last match.

Lanning’s opening order quality, mingled with her acrobatic fielding has always been a key factor for their recent ODI and T-20 success. Lanning along with Ellyse Perry were instrumental in their team’s march to their second consecutive WT-20 title in 2014, where Lanning even scored a match-winning 44 in the finals against England, as Australia cruised to victory with six wickets in the bag.

Lanning again, especially with her experience in this format would play a decisive part if Australia are to regain their trophy they won in Bangladesh two years back.

#2 Sarah Taylor

Taylor’s technique and temperament are simply sublime

Last year’s ICC Women’s cricketer of the year winner, Sarah Taylor, recently made history by playing Australia’s elite A-grade men’s cricket for South Australia and has even signed for the Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL.

Taylor, a veteran of over 98 ODIs and seventy-three T-20 internationals, is still a key cog in the English batting link, with her wicket-keeping dynamics adding plenty of depth to her team. Like Lanning, she averages in the thirties, though, it is not as good as her forty-plus ODI average.

Yet, her 62 dismissals in T-20 internationals is phenomenal.The ex-Rubies player has received great appreciation for her wonderful technique and gracious footwork, which was visibly missing from the Women’s game, before Taylor’s generation.

Though she had relatively low-key outings in the WBBL this year, with a solitary fifty and a couple of thirties, yet her quality, especially on Indian surfaces, is undeniably exceptional. A recipient of 9 Man of the Match awards, Taylor would be Charlotte Edwards’ go-to woman, alongside Anya Shrubsole.

#3 Stafanie Taylor

Explosive with the bat and effective with the ball

The deserved winner of this year’s ICC T-20 Women’s cricketer of the year, Stafanie Taylor, has everything in her kitty to be qualified as a potentially good all-rounder. Her recent performances for the West Indies which included two destructive half-centuries and eight wickets against Pakistan, that gave her the Player of the series medal, is indicative of her all-rounder prowess, which even over-shadowed Ellyse Perry’s performances for Australia.

Even for the Sydney Thunder, the team in which she is enrolled in, she has been absolutely excellent, slamming consistent thirty-plus scores with a fifty and contributing equally with tight economical overs, for Alex Blackwell, her skipper.

The Jamaican’s T-20 average towers over 36 with 16 half-centuries to her name from only 65 internationals. Even bowling-wise, she possesses phenomenal figures with fifty-six wickets at an average of under seventeen and an impressive economy of under six.

With Anisa Mohammad and Deandra Dottin, Taylor would form a strong West indies touring outfit, that last time around saw them making it to the semis.

#4 Ellyse Perry

Perry is arguably the best all-rounder in the world at the moment

The versatile Aussie all-rounder would certainly be the most watched female star in the T-20 World Cup, especially with the skilful dynamics, which has seen her rising higher in the all-rounder and batting rankings.

Perry is currently leading the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL. She has already been a part of three T-20 World Cup triumphs, the recent being in Bangladesh, where she and Lanning guided the Aussies to the No.1 ranking. Her T-20 career stats are way ahead of anyone else, and considering her enrollments in two sports-football and cricket, it is indeed remarkable.

Perry’s strike rate notches above 103, which is why she has been so integral to her team, along with her impressive bowling track-record, which sees her average in the twenties, with 67 scalps. Her bowling strike rate, as expected from her average hovers in the twenties.

Though her performance in the Big Bash has been slightly on the down, she is a proven all-rounder nevertheless, who would be looking to inspire her team to another triumph on the trot.

#5 Suzie Bates

Bates has been effective but has mostly flown under the radar

A former Kiwi basketball player, Suzie Bates, has been in this game as long as Sarah Taylor with a career spanning over ten years. The ex-Kiwi skipper was instrumental in New Zealand’s recent T-20 triumph at home, where she led them with a quality 67 in the decider, to give them a series win.

Bates’ top-order batting and her right-arm medium has always given the Kiwis, like their Tasman brothers, Australia, a depth in batting with a quality all-rounder. A scorer of ten international T20 half-centuries, Bates also owns a good economy of under seven with the ball.

What is most impressive about her is her stroke play and sensible batting, something which, barring some other players is still a missing link. She has often steadied the ship when New Zealand needed her most. She has twice taken them to the T-20 finals, once in 2009 and again in 2013 in England.

Bates is the leading New Zealand run-scorer in T-20 internationals and played a key role in the team’s outings in 2014 T20 WC, with three fifties from five games.

#6 Katherine Brunt

Brunt gives her side some much-needed balance

Katherine Brunt has established herself as a key component in the England middle-order with her late-order striking prowess and opening fast-medium bowling. Along with Edwards and Taylor, she is now a senior member of her national team.

Her recent performances for the Scorchers Women has been notable with a striking economy, which proves why her quality is so invaluable to her side. With a bowling average of under 19 and a strike rate of 23.3, she adds plenty of depth to any side.

Brunt is currently the 2nd ranked One-Day bowler in the world after Jhulan Goswami, with a career best all-rounder ranking of eighth. A veteran of over 50 T-20 internationals, Brunt’s success is incredible in the format, especially as a lower-order batter, which has often drawn comparisons with Andrew Flintoff.

Brunt has been instrumental in the recent one-day series win over Australia, at home. With her experience, she can definitely see her team to their second title, since 2009.