(WS News) – Big gains for star performers from Australia and New Zealand ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Australia all-rounder Georgia Wareham is the big improver on the latest ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings just days out from the start of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Wareham makes large gains in all three rankings categories on the back of her dominant performance in the final game of Australia’s three-match T20I series against New Zealand on home soil.
The 25-year-old produced a Player of the Match effort against the Kiwis in Brisbane, contributing 26 runs from just 16 deliveries after being promoted to bat at No.3 and then backing up that with a blistering spell of 2/21 with the ball as Australia completed a comfortable five-wicket victory.
It helped Wareham gain 11 places to move to 101st on the latest T20I batter rankings, while the right-armer moves up six spots to 14th on the list for bowlers and three rungs to 17th for all-rounders.
Australia opener Beth Mooney maintains her lead at the top of the T20I rankings for batters despite a relatively quiet series against New Zealand, while teammate Phoebe Litchfield gains two places to move to 39th on the same list on the back of 77 runs against the Kiwis from three hits.
There is some joy for New Zealand despite being swept 3-0 by the Aussies, with star all-rounder Melie Kerr gaining three places to move to equal 14th for T20I batters and teammate Maddy Green improves three spots to rise to equal 46th in the same category.
England star Sophie Ecclestone will head into Women’s T20 World Cup as the No.1 ranked bowler ahead of India spinner Deepti Sharma, with Wareham, Eden Carson (up six places to equal 16th) and Sophie Molineux (up 16 spots to 60th) the biggest movers following the series between Australia and New Zealand.
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews retains a healthy lead at the top of the T20I rankings for all-rounders, with Australia’s Ash Gardner making some ground in second place after she was named Player of the Series against New Zealand for her 51 runs and four wickets.
