5 best women cricketers in the world right now

Cricket will likely always be a male-dominated sport, but the women’s game is gaining traction and is in better shape now than ever before. The first women’s Big Bash will take place during the 2015-16 season and a Super League in England is also scheduled to commence next year.Women’s cricket has many differences to men’s. The lack of brute power makes the sport more technical and the balance between batsmen and bowlers arguably fairer. The boundaries are typically shorter and the women also use a lighter ball. However, despite the changes, the sport remains cricket – the game we all know and love.Here are the five best female cricketers in the world today, and five players you will likely hear much more of if women’s cricket gets more television exposure.

#1 Meg Lanning

Australian woman cricket team captain

Born in Singapore in 1992, hard-hitting Meg Lanning has already established herself as of the world's most prolific young batswomen. She has hit six ODI centuries – only Charlotte Edwards, Claire Taylor and Karen Rolton have more – and her 1735 runs in the 50-over game have come at a strike-rate just shy of 100.

Lanning has also excelled in T20 internationals. The Australian captain guided the Southern Stars to international glory at the 2014 World Twenty20, striking a match-winning 44 off 30 in the final against England, finishing the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 259. Lanning’s 65-ball 126 against Ireland early in the event was the highest-ever score in the format.

Lanning has been in fine form during the women’s Ashes, with efforts of 104 and 85 in the ODI matches, although she could muster only three runs in the Test match. But at just 23 years old, Lanning looks set to dominate the sport for many years and she will most likely break multiple batting records.

#2 Sarah Taylor

Sarah Taylor

Sarah Taylor has been a top performer for her national side since making her debut in 2006, at the age of 17. She has achieved most of her success in limited-overs cricket, and averages above 40 and 30 in one-day international (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20) cricket respectively. She has also hit five hundreds and 16 fifties in ODI cricket.England's star batsman is so good she has even played with the men. Taylor has appeared in senior men's club matches back home, and the wicketkeeper had discussions with Sussex in 2013 to play for the county's second XI should she be required. As yet, nothing has come to fruition at the county level, however, if Taylor continues to thrive, more opportunities could well arise in the future.Taylor's form has admittedly been below-par of late - she has so far failed to make a significant impact in the ongoing Ashes series - but these knocks are just a blemish on her impressive. England has been one of the strongest teams in the women’s game for many years now, and Taylor is leading their charge with the bat.

#3 Mithali Raj

Getting recognised for her cricket exploits

Mithali Raj has been India's star for over a decade and the 32-year-old has shown herself to be one of the world's best with the bat. She has accumulated over 5,000 runs in ODI cricket – the second most of all-time - at an average of almost 50, and she has also succeeded in both Tests and T20s.

Raj first played for India in 1999, but she truly announced her arrival in 2002 when, as a 19-year-old, she hit 214 against England in a Test match at Taunton – a score, which at that time, was the highest ever in women’s Test history. The record lasted until Pakistan’s Kiran Baluch scored 242 versus West Indies, almost two years later.

As India captain, Raj has enjoyed limited success and has often been left to carry the rest of the team. However, India did secure a memorable Test victory while touring in England in 2014, beating the hosts by six wickets with Raj scoring the winning runs. She continues to churn out runs at will, and India will miss her greatly when she eventually calls time on her career.

#4 Anya Shrubsole

Anya has been the bowling spearhead for English woman cricket team

England’s Anya Shrubsole is a key component of England’s bowling lineup and the right-arm medium pacer has been crucial to their successes in the two limited-overs formats. The 23-year-old plays her domestic cricket at Somerset – the same county which has boasted Sunil Gavaskar and Sir Vivian Richards on its roster in the past.

Shrubsole’s strongest performances to date have come in T20s. She was the highest wicket-taker at the 2014 World T20 with 13, a showing which earned her the Player of the Series award. In her 36 T20 internationals, Shrubsole has picked up 49 wickets at a price of 13.48 each, while going at a miserly economy rate of 5.57. She also takes a wicket every 15 deliveries.

Her knack of making the ball move has allowed Shrubsole, who typically bowls at just under 70 mph, to torment opponents with her in-swinger. She affirmed her class once again in this year’s Ashes Test at Canterbury, toppling Australia’s top-order with 4-63 in the first innings.

#5 Ellyse Perry

Equally well footed in football also

Ellyse Perry is the epitome of an all-rounder, in sporting terms as well as cricket. The Australian is not only a proven performer at international level with both bat and ball, but she has also represented her country in a different sport altogether – football. Not bad for a lady who is still only 24.

Her proficiency in both football and cricket means she has been forced to choose between sports, with dates inevitably clashing. In 2014, she turned down the chance to play for the New South Wales Breakers in the Women’s National Cricket League final, opting to play for Sydney FC in the W-League semi-final instead.

Perry is currently playing in the Ashes series against England. She bowled brilliantly in the only Test match in August, acquiring match figures of 9-70 - including 6-32 in the second innings - as Australia won by 161 runs. She averages 31.28 and 38.66 in Tests and ODIs with the bat, demonstrating her all-round abilities. Perry stakes a strong claim for being the complete female cricketer in the world.