Photo Credit: Perth Scorchers
Perth Scorchers star opener Beth Mooney has been named as the Wisden Almanack’s leading Women’s cricketer, after an outstanding year at international level.
The 30-year-old wins the award for the second time in her career, after previously claiming the top prize in 2021.
The Wisden Cricketer of the Year is presented by the publication Wisden Cricketer’s Almanack, based on their on-field performance from the previous calendar year.
In 2022, Mooney averaged a remarkable 100 in ODIs, hitting 330 runs whilst only being dismissed once at the One-Day World Cup in New Zealand, including a match-winning half-century in the final.
In T20Is the left-hander struck 449 runs in 13 innings, including four half-centuries.
Her crowning moment came in the in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where she proved herself as a big game performer, top-scoring in the final with 61 as Australia won a thriller against India to clinch the gold medal – and being the leading run scorer in the tournament.
This recognition caps off a fine 18 months for Mooney, after winning her second Belinda Clark Medal for being Australia’s best women’s cricketer, and the One-Day International Player of the Year Award earlier in the summer.
Mooney also had another dominant season for the Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Bash League.
The left-hander finished as the leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 434 runs a 43.40 including four fifties and a highest score of 99 not out, coming in the Scorchers nine-wicket win over the Sydney Sixers.
She became the first player in WBBL history to pass 4000 runs in the competition.
Mooney became the sixth player to win multiple Belinda Clark Medals, joining an illustrious group which includes current Australian skipper Meg Lanning, Shelley Nitschke, Karen Rolton, Lisa Sthalekar and Ellyse Perry.
