June’s Players of the Month

New Zealand seam bowler Nathan Smith was on Monday named the ICC Player of the Month for June following superb performances in a Test series in England while England opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge won the award for her outstanding efforts in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

The 28-year-old Smith played a key role in New Zealand’s 2-1 Test series win in England and won the award ahead of India captain Shubman Gill and Bangladesh all-rounder Mossadek Hossain.

Smith finished as the leading wicket-taker with a series haul of 16 wickets that came at an average of 23.00. His standout performance was a return of six for 70 in the second innings of the first Test at Lord’s in which he finished with nine wickets.

Smith said: “This is really special. It was a great tour of England for the boys, and this is pretty cool. I don’t usually play for individual awards, but it’s nice to receive this recognition and, more importantly, to have contributed to a series win.

“Personally, it was really satisfying to contribute to the win. That’s all I want to do for New Zealand – try as hard as I can and contribute in whatever way I can. Unfortunately, we had a few injuries during the series, so I had to step up and open the bowling. It’s something I’ve done in domestic cricket and a little bit for New Zealand before, but it was nice to shoulder the responsibility and bowl a few overs with the new ball.”

Wyatt-Hodge, who edged out Scotland all-rounder Kathryn Bryce and India’s left-arm spinner Sree Charani for the award, was in superb touch early in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

The 35-year-old finished the league stage as the leading run-scorer of the tournament boasting an unbeaten 105 off 62 deliveries against Sri Lanka and an unbeaten 89 off 53 against defending champions New Zealand. She was named the Player of the Match in both matches.

Wyatt-Hodge said: “I’m delighted to win the ICC Player of the Month award, especially since it came for performances at a World Cup on home soil. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was a fantastic occasion for the game, and having the opportunity to play in the final at Lord’s is a memory that my teammates and I will cherish forever.

“While we fell short of lifting the trophy, we gave everything we had and were proud to be part of a tournament that captured the imagination of fans. I hope the memories it created will inspire many more young girls and boys to embrace the game in the years ahead. I’m grateful to the ICC for this recognition and look forward to contributing many more match-winning performances for England.”

Both players were crowned following a vote conducted among global fans registered at  icc-cricket.com  and a specialist panel comprising former international players and media representatives.