ICC Women’s Player of the Month for March 2024 revealed

Monitoring Desk

DUBAI: England batter Maia Bouchier has been named as the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for March 2024 after a sensational run in New Zealand.

Bouchier beat competition from Australia star Ash Gardner and New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr to win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for March 2024.

The youngster was thrilled after achieving the award, thanking her family and teammates for the support.

“First of all, thank you to everyone who voted for me! I am so happy and grateful to everyone: my family and partner and the staff and my teammates who have supported me whilst playing at the international level,” Bouchier said.

“I am so honoured to have won this award and I hope there are many more to come. It’s been such an amazing couple of months, from training through the winter with my coaches at home and transferring what I’ve been working on into this series, so I’m really glad I have been able to perform for the team. Thank you again!”

The 25-year-old debuted in 2021 and in the initial days slotted in the middle-order for England. However, in recent times a move up to the top-order seems to have benefitted Bouchier.

It showed in England’s 4-1 T20I series win over New Zealand, where she batted in the top-order and was adjudged the Player of the Series for her 223 runs at an average of 55.75 and a strike rate of 129.65.

She also scored a career-best 91 from 56 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes, in the fourth match of the series. It helped set up England’s series win in the fourth T20I in Wellington. Her other prominent scores in the series were a prominent 43* in the first T20I (which England won by 27 runs), and 71 (in a close loss for England, by three runs).

Bouchier would hope to build on her golden run in New Zealand, and cement her place in the side ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 later this year in Bangladesh.