Sophia Dunkley Biography: Sophia Dunkley is an English cricketer who is a right-handed batting all-rounder. The 24-year-old player hails from Surrey and is slowly turning heads around with her fine performances. She has featured for the sides like Surrey Stars, England Women, Lancashire Thunder, Southern Brave Women and Trailblazers. In March 2023, Sophia Dunkley will make her debut for the Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League.
#TheHundred : #SophiaDunkley ने #OvalInvincibles के खिलाफ खेली 58 रन की तूफानी पारी#TheHundred #TheHundredOnFanCode @thehundred @FanCode pic.twitter.com/aYH6bDKrJW
— India TV Hindi (@IndiaTVHindi) August 17, 2021
Early Life & Journey
Sophia Dunkley was born on July 16th, 1998 in Lambeth Surrey. Sophia was raised as a single child in a single-parent family. The player did not have any inclination toward the sport until a neighbour introduced her to the game. She was raised in a cul-de-sac which allowed her to play the sport alongside boys. In an interview with Guardian in 2018, prior to her debut as the first black female to represent England, she said:
“He was one of my best friends growing up. We used to live in a cul-de-sac so we were able to play outside. We both joined a club together, a boys’ club, and it just stemmed from there.”
The player joined Finchley Cricket Club to continue her exploits with the game. She made a breakthrough by joining Middlesex. Her mother had connections with Mill Hill School which gave her a pathway to join the school where she also got a sports scholarship. At the school, she played with boys and became the first ever girl to qualify for the side. She graduated in sports science from Loughborough University where she pursued her cricket interests too.
In 2012, Sophia Dunkley made her debut for Middlesex in a Twenty20 Cup tournament against Sussex. In her first game, the player made just two runs and had no wickets to her name. However, She continued her exploits with Middlesex and other England Development Programmes for the sport. The player soon won the Player of the Year award in 2017 and 2019 for her stupendous performances. In the 2019 Women’s County Championship, Sophia Dunkley scored two centuries with 451 runs.
Following her fine performances, she was called up for the national team in 2018. She joined Lancashire Thunder in 2019 alongside joining Surrey in 2020. 2021 was an eventful year for Sophia Dunkley. She made her test as well as the One-Day International debut. She was also drafted by Southern Brave for the inaugural campaign of The Hundred.
Following the leg-break all-rounder’s performances, Gujarat Giants bought the player in the Women’s Premier League auction. Though she had a base price of 30 lakhs, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants engaged in a bidding war to secure the services of the English allrounder.
24-9-22 at lord's
18-2-23 at St. georgia parkrenuka singh thakur inswinging her way through sophia dunkley, lovely parallel pic.twitter.com/3bmQtKMtGU
— s (@_sectumsempra18) February 18, 2023
Cricket & Stats
Sophia Dunkley made her debut in the T20 international for England in 2018 against Bangladesh Women at Gros Islet in the ICC T20 World Cup. On her debut, the all-rounder did neither get a chance to bat nor to bowl. However, Sophia Dunkley made an impact in fielding as she played her part in dismissing Rumana Ahmed.
Ever since her debut in the shortest format of the game, she has featured in 42 games for England. In those games, she has scored 612 runs with the highest of 61 runs and an average of 25.5 at a strike rate of 117.24. She has two fifties to her name in the T20 internationals. With the ball, she has only one wicket but is an economical bowler. She bowled at an economy of 2.
Sophia Dunkley made her test debut against India in June 2017. On her debut, she scored a brilliant half-century against India. With the ball, she did not get any major success as she bowled only one over. Across three tests and four innings, Sophia Dunkley has 152 runs to her name at a strike rate of 67.6 and an average of 50.7.
The player made a One-Day international debut three years after her T20I debut. Sophia Dunkley made her debut against India at Bristol on June 27, 2021. The player did not get any chance to make an impact with bat and ball on the debut. However, in 28 One Day international fixtures, she has scored 746 runs with one century and five half-centuries to her name. The player has scored an average of 31 in the ODIs. On the other hand, with the ball, the 24-year-old has a wicket to her name.
Achievements
First Black Women to play for England in Women’s cricket – 2018
Player of the Season for Middlesex – 2017 and 2019
BioData
Sophia Dunkley
Profession: English Women Cricketer
Height (approx.): 5’5”
Hair Colour: Black
Date of Birth: 16-July-1998
Age: 24
Birth Place: Lambeth, Surrey
Zodiac sign/Sun sign: Cancer
Nationality: England
