The ICC has revealed the nominees for the Player of the Month award for June, and the list is dominated by Ashes stars from both the men’s and women’s sides. The nominations also include standout performers from the Men’s Cricket World Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
Tammy Beaumont, the England veteran, and Ashleigh Gardner, the Australian all-rounder, were among the nominees for their incredible display in the recently concluded one-off Ashes Test.The list of nominees for the prestigious award includes West Indian skipper Hayley Matthews, who decimated Ireland in the recent ODI series with her all-around performance.
In the men’s category, Australian middle-order batter Travis Head made the list for his impressive showing in the WTC final and the first Ashes Test. Joining him are two spin-bowling all-rounders from the World Cup Qualifiers, Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka and Sean Williams of Zimbabwe.
Nominees for ICC Men's Player of the Month award in June 2023:
•Travis Head.
•Wanindu Hasaranga.
•Sean Williams. pic.twitter.com/bDx2RTSHMh— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) July 5, 2023
Let’s take a look at how the Women’s nominees for the ICC Player of the Month in June, Ashleigh Gardner and Tammy Beaumont, performed:
In June, the one-off Ashes Test between England and Australia was the highlight of the cricketing world. The visitors won by 89 runs in a thrilling match, with Ash Gardner being named Player of the Match.
Although Gardner scored a valuable 40 in Australia’s first innings total of 473, it was her bowling that dominated the English batters in both innings. After picking up an impressive 4/99 in the first innings, the 26-year-old destroyed the hosts in the second innings with figures of 8/66 to single-handedly win Australia the game. In Women’s Test history, Gardner’s second-innings bowling figures were the second-best.
England opener Tammy Beaumont was the other star of the Ashes Test, scoring a breathtaking 208 in their first innings. It was the first double century by an England player. Although she scored a crisp 22 in the second innings, her dismissal off the bowling of Gardner proved to be the turning point as the side collapsed to be bowled for 189.
If the battle for the Player of the Month award comes down to Beaumont and Gardner, Gardner’s dismissal of Beaumont on both occasions could tip the lead in favor of the Australian off-spinner.
Hayley Matthews:
While the cricketing world was engrossed in the Women’s Ashes, the West Indies skipper Hayley Mathews had an amazing performance against Ireland in the first two ODIs. In the first ODI, Mathews smashed a sparkling 109 off 106 deliveries to lead the West Indies side to 297/6.
Mathews is already the third-highest run-getter and wicket-taker for the West Indies in ODIs and T20s. She also picked up three wickets in Ireland’s innings, dismissing the set batters Gaby Lewis and skipper Laura Delany, and helped the West Indies win by 58 runs. In the second ODI, Mathews took an early wicket before rain abandoned play.
Men’s nominees for ICC Player of the Month in June
Travis Head:
Travis Head, the Australian middle-order batsman, has been in incredible form in Test cricket since 2021, averaging almost 55 in 20 games. In the WTC final at the Kennington Oval, the 29-year-old smashed India to all corners of the ground.
Head’s innings of 163 off 174 deliveries was remarkable as he counter-attacked and dismissed the Indian bowling Coming in with the score at 76/3, his innings helped Australia post a daunting first-innings total of 469, which eventually proved too much for Team India as the Aussies clinched their first WTC title. Head continued his form in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, scoring another solid half-century to help Australia take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Sean Williams and Wanindu Hasaranga:
Sean Williams and Wanindu Hasaranga were the standout performers of the World Cup Qualifiers, leading their respective sides to an unbeaten league stage. Zimbabwean left-hander Williams played a crucial role in Zimbabwe’s five straight wins, scoring three centuries against Nepal, the USA, and Oman. Despite Zimbabwe narrowly missing out on World Cup qualification, Williams had an incredible average of 100 with the bat and contributed three wickets as an all-rounder.
Sri Lankan star Wanindu Hasaranga has undoubtedly been the bowler of the tournament, scalping 20 wickets at an average of 12.45, making him the leading wicket-taker in the competition.Hasaranga’s exceptional bowling has been instrumental in Sri Lanka’s unbeaten run in the Tournament, which has helped them qualify for the World Cup in India later this year.
The leg-spinner’s performance was exceptional, as he picked up three five-wicket hauls in consecutive matches, making him only the second cricketer after former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis to achieve this feat.
