Devon Conway and Sophie Ecclestone have been named the ICC Players of the Month for their outstanding performances in the month of June.
Devon Conway
The New Zealand Opener has been in flying form since he made his debut in Test Cricket. Conway scored a double century on his debut at Lord’s. He broke Kepler Wessels 39-year-old world record for the most runs an opener on Test debut. Conway scored an aggregate of 223 runs and went past Wessels, who had scored 218 runs in his debut Test in 1982.
Followed by this, Conway scored two half-centuries in the next two tests including a vital 54 in the first innings of the ICC World Test Championship. Devon Conway has scored 379 runs in six innings at an average of 63.17 in his Test career so far. And after this exceptional performance, Conway became the first player from New Zealand to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award.
“I’m truly honored to win this award. That I have received it for my performances in Test cricket makes it extra special.” Devon Conway said
“Scoring a double century at Lord’s was a dream come true for me and to have also been able to contribute to our win over India in the ICC World Test Championship Final is something that I know I will proudly look back on in years to come. I would like to thank the ICC and New Zealand Cricket for their support and encouragement and look forward to the international cricket to come in the second half of this year.” He added
Sophie Ecclestone
Sophie Ecclestone becomes the second English female to win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award after Tammy Beaumont. The left-arm orthodox spinner produced some outstanding performances in the three matches she played in June. She was the highest wicket-taker in a one-off test against India in Bristol, where she finished with an eight-wicket haul. Ecclestone also grabbed six wickets in two ODIs, she played against India.
Speaking on the honor, Ecclestone said, “It’s really nice to win this award. It’s after a period in which we’ve played all three formats so it feels good to be recognized for my performances in the Test and the white-ball series.”
“We’ve been happy as a team how we’ve performed across this series. We would have liked to have won the Test match but hopefully, we can clinch the multi-format series. It’s all crucial preparation for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand when we’ll be defending the title we won in 2017, and we feel in a decent place as a team.” She added