The Top 3 Wicket-Takers’ ancient adage in cricket that bowlers aid in winning tournaments also holds true in the just concluded Women’s Premier League: if batters help you win matches, bowlers help in winning tournaments. Notably, the Mumbai Indians, who won the title in the first season, were excellent with the ball as four of the top five wicket-takers in the competition were members of the Harmanpreet Kaur-led squad.
Therefore, it goes without saying that the winners had a blast playing with the ball in the middle. But who are these cricket players that dominated the competition and kept the ball in play the entire time? Here are the top three wicket-takers in the 2023 WPL:
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3. Issy Wong
Issy Wong is a young and talented English cricketer who was born on December 17, 2001, in Coventry, England. She started playing cricket at a young age and made her debut for Warwickshire Women’s team in 2018 at the age of 16.
Wong is a right-arm fast-medium bowler who can generate significant pace and swing the ball. Her ability to move the ball in the air and off the pitch has earned her a reputation as a genuine wicket-taker.
In 2019, she was selected for the England Women’s Academy, which is a development squad for young players with the potential to represent England at the highest level. She has also played for the Central Sparks in the Women’s Cricket Super League, which is a domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in England.
At the age of 19, Wong made her debut for the England Women’s cricket team in a T20I match against New Zealand in September 2021. She was impressive in her first international outing, picking up two wickets in her four overs.
Overall, Issy Wong is regarded as one of the most promising young cricketers in England and is expected to have a bright future in the sport.
The 20-year-old international from England was fantastic the entire season. Wong managed to take three significant wickets, including Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, and Jemimah Rodrigues, in the finals night to completely dismantle Delhi’s batting lineup. The bowler finished the tournament as the third-leading wicket-taker with a total of 15 wickets from ten games.
2. Sophie Ecclestone
Sophie Ecclestone is an English cricketer who was born on May 6, 1999, in Chester, England. She is a left-arm orthodox spinner and is widely regarded as one of the best spinners in women’s cricket today.
Ecclestone made her debut for the England Women’s Cricket team in 2016 at the age of 17. She has since established herself as a key member of the team, playing in all formats of the game.
In 2018, she was named the ICC Women’s Emerging Player of the Year after taking 18 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 10.61 in the Women’s Cricket Super League. The following year, she was named the ECB Women’s Cricketer of the Year after a stellar season that saw her take 37 wickets in 17 matches across all formats.
Ecclestone has also played in various domestic T20 leagues around the world, including the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia and the Kia Super League in England. She has been a consistent performer in these leagues, taking wickets and helping her teams to success.
Overall, Sophie Ecclestone is a highly talented spinner with a bright future in the game. Her ability to spin the ball both ways, coupled with her accuracy and control, make her a formidable opponent for any batsman.
The world’s top-ranked T20I bowler also won the WPL. The spinner, who is 23 years old, demonstrated why she is so dangerous in the game’s shortest version. She was UP Warriorz’s main strength with the ball. The England international finished the tournament as the second-leading wicket-taker with a total of 16 wickets in nine games.
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1. Hayley Matthews
Hayley Matthews is a cricketer from Barbados who was born on January 21, 1998. She is a right-handed batter and a right-arm off-break bowler and is considered to be one of the most promising young talents in women’s cricket.
Matthews made her debut for the West Indies Women’s cricket team in 2014 at the age of 16. In the same year, she became the youngest player ever to score a century in women’s T20I cricket when she scored an unbeaten 107 against Sri Lanka.
Since then, Matthews has established herself as a key player for the West Indies Women’s team, playing in all formats of the game. She was a member of the team that won the ICC Women’s World T20 in 2016, where she scored a crucial half-century in the final against Australia.
Matthews has also played in various domestic T20 leagues around the world, including the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia and the Kia Super League in England. She has been a consistent performer in these leagues, scoring runs and taking wickets for her teams.
Off the field, Matthews has also been an advocate for women’s cricket and has spoken out about the need for more support and recognition for the women’s game. She has been an inspiration to young girls in the Caribbean and beyond who aspire to play cricket at the highest level.
The West Indies international Hayley Matthews also claimed 16 wickets. The economic rate she kept up was higher than Ecclestone’s, though. Throughout the season, she has made a significant contribution to Mumbai’s victories with the ball, and on the finals night, she once again delivered, taking three wickets and allowing only five runs to be scored.
