The Rise of Spin Queens in Cricket History

(Sophie Ecclestone playing for England)

In the ever-evolving world of cricket, where players like Shane Warne have left their mark on the upcoming generations with their spin mastery, a new era has emerged. Fans have been talking about the players who could carry the legacy of Shane Warne in Men's cricket, but there are a few Women cricketers who have been rewriting the narrative of spin bowling in international cricket. Men have been dominating the field of cricket for a long time, but Women have now also arrived to redefine the game. These spin queens have been dominating across the international format with their unplayable deliveries, which confuses the batsmen.

Their ability to spin the bowl perfectly helps them to inspire the spectators and fans. From mastering the art of leg spin to perfecting their Googly deliveries, the spin queens have made every effort to be among the list of top spinners. Let's have a look at the spin queens of cricket who are at par level with the legendary Shane Warne.

1. Shreyanka Patil

The new debutant for the India Women's cricket team, Shreyanka Patil has already impressed the fans with her unwavering spin bowling skills. She was a part of the India A team in the ACC Women's Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023, where she helped the team to secure a win and become the champions. Shreyanka took 9 wickets in the tournament which included a five-wicket haul against Hong Kong and her spell of 4 wickets for 13 runs against Bangladesh A. Her spell in the finals played a crucial role in helping India A secure the win.

(Shreyanka Patil playing for RCB Women in the WPL)

This also helped Shreyanka Patil to receive her first International call up for the India Women's cricket team, as she made her International debut across the Women's T20I and Women's ODI format. Her spin bowling skills impressed the fans a lot in the Women's Premier League 2024 edition, where she helped Royal Challengers Bangalore Women to win the title. She took 4 wickets for the team in the final match against Delhi Capitals Women and was also the Purple Cap winner of the tournament with 13 wickets in 8 matches.

2. Sophie Ecclestone

The England left-arm spinner, Sophie Ecclestone, has been dominating across the Women's cricket with her bowling skills. She has been the top ranked Women's T20I bowler for the last few years, showing her wicket taking capability. Ecclestone has played 78 Women's T20I games till now and has secured 113 wickets, making it to the list of the players who have taken more than 100 wickets in the T20I format.

(Sophie Ecclestone after claiming a 10-wicket haul)

Maintaining an average of 14.93 and an economy of 5.87, Sophie Ecclestone has been an asset to the England Women's cricket team and the domestic teams she has played for. In the recent T20I series against New Zealand Women, Sophie Ecclestone took 4 wickets across two matches, with her best bowling figures being 3 wickets for 30 runs. She has also been a remarkable performer for UP Warriorz Women in the WPL, playing a crucial role in helping the team reach the playoffs in the previous season.

3. Sophie Molineux

Sophie Molineux is another left-arm spinner who plays for the Australia Women's Cricket team, Royal Challengers Bangalore Women in the Women's Premier League, Victoria in the WNCL, and is the captain of Melbourne Renegades in the Women's Big Bash League. She made her international debut against India in 2018, where she conceded only 15 runs in two overs, which helped Australia secure the win.

(Sophie Molineux interview after match against UP Warriorz Women)

Her maiden international wicket came against New Zealand, where she took the wicket of Bernadine Bezuidenhout, and Australia Women won the game by six wickets. Looking at her impressive spin bowling performances, she was also included in Australia Women's squad for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2018, where the team went on to win the title. Molineux also played an important role for the Royal Challengers Bangalore Women in the second WPL season, which helped the team to win the title.

4. Jess Jonassen

One of the most experienced left-arm spinners in the Australia Women's cricket team, Jess Jonassen, has been dominating with her spin bowling capabilities for a long time. Although Jonassen has not been able to take wickets consistently in the Women's T20I format, she has taken 141 wickets across 93 Women's ODI games, with two five-wicket hauls in her career. Jonassen made her Test debut against England Women in 2015 and was the Player of the Match.

(Jess Jonassen playing in the Women’s Big Bash League)

She scored 99 runs in the first innings while taking a wicket and another half-century in the second innings. Jess Jonassen can devastate opponents with her batting and bowling skills. She plays for Delhi Capitals Women in the Women's Premier League, and in the 12th match against Mumbai Indians Women, Jess Jonassen took 3 wickets while conceding only 21 runs in four overs. She also holds the record of the second fastest woman to take 100 wickets in the ODI format, claiming this achievement in 67 innings.

5. Poonam Yadav

Poonam Yadav, the leg break googly bowler from India, has been another impressive player on the list of spin queens. She made her debut for the India Women's cricket team in the year 2013 and holds the record for the best bowling analysis in Women's T20 Internationals, taking 2 wickets while conceding no run in her spell. In 58 Women's ODI matches, Poonam has taken 80 wickets at an average of 25.15 and an economy rate of 3.97 runs per over.

(Poonam Yadav playing for Team India)

However, Poonam has been more dominant in the Women's T20I format, taking 98 wickets across 72 matches at an average of 15.25 runs per wicket. Poonam also stands at the sixth spot in the list of highest wicket-takers in a Women's ODI series, taking 29 wickets in just 18 matches.