6 Best Yorker Bowlers in Women Cricket History

A yorker is a ball that lands near the batsman’s feet. It is one of the most difficult balls to score runs with. Batsmen cannot go under it to hit a boundary. They cannot drive it easily. A full yorker lands at the base of the stumps or on the batsman’s toes. This ball is very difficult to bowl. There is very little margin for error. If the ball is a little too full, it becomes a full toss. If the ball is a little too short, it becomes a half-volley. Both these balls are easy to score runs with.

There are seven women in cricket history who are known for bowling excellent yorkers. They are from South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand and England. They bowl with pace and accuracy. They take wickets in the death overs when the batsmen are trying to score quickly. There is no official count of yorkers bowled in women’s cricket. However, pace, wickets, performance in the death overs and reputation show who bowls them best.

1. Shabnim Ismail

Shabbnim Ismail is from South Africa. She has bowled the fastest ball in women’s cricket history, bowling at 132.1 kmph. No other woman has bowled a faster ball than her. She has taken 191 ODI wickets and 123 T20I wickets in her career. She is the joint highest wicket-taker in the Women’s T20 World Cup with Megan Schutt, both of whom have taken 43 wickets each.

Pace makes yorkers effective. When the ball comes at 132 kmph and lands at your feet, the reaction time is minimal. The batsman has no time to adjust. The ball hits the stumps or their pads before he can complete his shot. Ismail’s sheer pace sometimes makes her yorkers almost unplayable.

Her high wicket-tall reflects her continued success across the format. 191 ODI wickets and 123 T20I wickets mean she has been consistently taking wickets over the years. Her performances in the World Cup, including 43 T20 World Cup wickets, show that she performs well under the most pressure. The death overs are crucial in the World Cup. Ismail bowls and takes wickets in those overs.

2. Jhulan Goswami

Jhulan Goswami is from India. She holds the record for the most ODI wickets in women’s cricket with 255 wickets. She has taken a total of 355 international wickets across all formats. No other woman has taken as many ODI wickets.

She was not as fast as Ismail, but her accuracy over two decades allowed her to bowl tight, full-lengths in the death overs throughout her long career. Accuracy is important for bowling yorkers, and Goswami had that accuracy. She could consistently land the ball exactly where she wanted it.

Her 255 ODI wickets were taken using a variety of skills, including bowling yorkers in the death overs. India relied on her to finish the innings and ultimately prevent runs from being scored. She did this for twenty years. Her longevity shows that her body can withstand the rigors of fast bowling, and her skills have remained sharp even in old age.

3. Megan Schutt

Megan Shutt is from Australia. She has taken 151 career women’s T20I wickets, which is the record for the most T20I wickets for Australia. She has also taken forty-eight wickets in the T20 World Cup, the most in the history of the tournament. She is the first Australian woman to take a hat-trick in both T20Is and ODIs.

She bowls both the new ball and the death overs. This shows how much her captain has faith in her. Death bowling requires yorkers, and Shutt consistently delivers them. Her forty-eight T20 World Cup wickets show that she takes wickets when they are needed most. The best batsman and the most pressured in the World Cup, yet she still succeeds.

Her hat-trick in both formats shows her ability to take multiple wickets in quick succession. This happens when you consistently bowl balls that are difficult to play. When a yorker is bowled correctly, it is very difficult to hit. Shutt bowls so many accurate yorkers that she has taken a hat-trick.

Related Article: Top 11 Best Yorker Bowlers In The World: Who Is The Yorker King?

4. Marizanne Kapp

Marizanne Kapp is from South Africa. She has 181 ODI wickets to her name. With 44 wickets, she holds the record for the most wickets in the history of the Women’s Cricket World Cup. No one has taken more wickets than her in any World Cup tournament.

Her strong control and ability to bowl consistently in the death overs make her effective at hitting blockhole lengths. The blockhole is the area where yorkers land, and it is difficult to hit that spot consistently. Kapp does that. Some of her 44 World Cup wickets came from yorkers at crucial moments.

She is an all-rounder who also bats. Taking 181 ODI wickets while batting shows her exceptional skill and fitness. Her World Cup record proves that she performs well even under the most pressure. The ability to perform in big matches is what separates the good bowlers from the great bowlers. Kapp has this quality.

5. Lea Tahuhu

Leah Tahuhu is from New Zealand. She has taken 115 ODI wickets and 93 T20 wickets. Over 200 international wickets as a fast bowler show consistent excellence. She is known for her pace and ability to bowl full-length balls at high speed.

Pace makes yorkers effective. If you bowl slowly, batsmen get time to adjust. If you bowl fast, they don’t. Tahuhu bowls fast. Her fast, full-length bowling makes her yorkers difficult to play. New Zealand uses them regularly in the death overs, and she has performed consistently well.

200 international wickets in a long career show that she has been fit and effective. Bowling fast puts a lot of strain on the body. Tahuhu has been able to avoid serious injuries or recover from them and continue bowling. This durability is important.

6. Katherine Sciver-Brunt

Katherine Sciver-Brunt is from England. She has 170 ODI wickets to her name, the most by any English bowler in her career. She has been England’s top death-over bowler for many years, known for her exceptional accuracy and ability to bowl full-lengths consistently.

In yorker bowling, accuracy is everything. If the ball is a few inches off, it can become a full toss or a half-volley, both of which can easily be hit for a boundary. Sciver-Brunt rarely missed her line. She achieved her 170 ODI wickets through sheer accuracy and skill during her long career.

England relied on her to bowl the death-overs in World Cups and important series. This trust was earned by her consistent performances. Whenever needed, she bowled a yorker, took a wicket or blocked a boundary. Death-over bowling often decides the outcome of a match, and Syver-Brunt’s death-over bowling won England many matches.

Further Reading: 11 Best Women’s Wicket Keeper Legends in World Cricket