Ellyse Perry, Sophie Molineux lead the way as Royal Challengers shine bright in Australian Women’s T20 League
The prized Australian Women’s T20 League concluded yesterday as the franchise from Melbourne secured the all-important bragging rights against Brisbane in the summit clash. Starry names from across the globe were a part of this famed league and top-notch performances reigned supreme as the world watched in awe.
The Royal Challengers were also a part of this hallowed cricketing extravaganza and stamped their authority in stunning fashion, instilling more hopes and joys for the upcoming days. Here is a quick run-down of the RCB-W players who headlined the show Down Under.
Ellyse Perry – 424 runs and 6 wickets
Pez brought the heat to the Aussie T20 League as she smashed 356 runs, a tally that featured glistening knocks of 81 against Melbourne, 54 against Adelaide, an unbeaten 48 against another franchise from Melbourne and a sensational 67 against Perth. Four of the six wickets she picked during the season also came in the first two games that saw Melbourne and Sydney facing the brunt of her all-round brilliance.
Sophie Devine – 213 runs and 11 wickets
The hard-hitting and seasoned Sophie Devine rocked the show with an incredible all-round performance. 180 runs are what she hammered with the bat, starring impressive knocks of 48 and 44 against Sydney, apart from claiming 11 wickets. Her figures of 4/26 against Hobart were a strong statement of her fascinating skills.
Sophie Molineux – 140 runs and 16 wickets
Molineux continued to impress with her all-round show like the way she enthralled the WPL in the Red and Gold threads. Despite not registering outstanding knocks, her bowling stood out amongst others, with 16 wickets at a meagre economy rate of 7.14. Even with the willow, she did chime in with a couple of crucial knocks that saw her clobbering 64 against Adelaide and an unbeaten 42 against Melbourne, and finished the season with 140 runs at a commendable strike rate of 155.55. She also claimed a bedazzling four-fer against the latter to carve a heroic display of conviction.
Georgia Wareham – 227 runs and 11 wickets
Wolfie was instrumental both with the bat and the ball, even though she was more impressive with the latter. Despite a reticent start with the willow in her hands, she was quick to get back to momentum as she clobbered knocks of 34, 69 and 21 against Melbourne, Hobart and Brisbane respectively. She kept on chipping away at the wickets with her exceptional bowling flair and picked her best figures against Sydney (2/20).
Smriti Mandhana – 144 runs
In just five matches for Strikes, the southpaw, who captains RCB in the WPL, racked up 144 runs at a strike rate of 142.57. With 51 against Hobart being her best, she also lit up the field against Perth with a fine 41 while sending the Melbourne bowlers on a leather hunt with another instrumental 40.
