Perth Scorchers star pair Alana King and Chloe Ainsworth have been recognised for their outstanding performances in Weber WBBL|10, with the Big Bash League naming their major award winners today.
Top Scorchers claim individual honours
Teen sensation Ainsworth was rewarded for taking her game to the next level in her second WBBL campaign, named as the tournament’s Young Gun following another productive season with the ball for her side.
The league’s Young Gun Award is given to the player judged as the best performed player under the age of 21, with Ainsworth the standout contender after several match-turning spells.
The 19-year-old finished WBBL|10 with 12 wickets at 18.58 in ten matches, with her wicket-tally seeing her finish second among seamers for wickets.
An economy of 5.86 runs per over also stood out amongst the rest of the contenders, with no other bowler who bowled more than 15 overs finishing with an economy below six.
Her ability to take key wickets in the Powerplay often got the Scorchers off to a great start, with no bowler striking as often as the teenager with the fielding restrictions in place.
Dismissals of Annabel Sutherland and Meg Lanning in the same over during the season-opener ranked comfortably amongst the tournament highlights, showcasing her incredible ability to swing the new ball.
Her batting also took significant strides this season, with her 41 off 27 balls against Hobart Hurricanes highlighting her powerful ball striking prowess.
WBBL|10 continued Ainsworth’s meteoric rise over the past 12 months, with the Melville product bursting on the scene with 15 wickets from 13 appearances during WBBL|09.
Meanwhile, a career-best campaign from legspinner Alana King saw her finish WBBL|10 with the BKT Golden Arm Award, given to the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.
The 29-year-old claimed 20 wickets at 13.30 from her ten matches to finish one wicket ahead of Sydney Thunder spinner Sam Bates.
Her season was remarkably consistent, finishing with multiple wickets six times during the competition.
A Player-of-the-Match effort against Brisbane Heat at the WACA Ground was her crowning moment, with the regular Australian international producing the best figures of WBBL|10 in the thrilling victory.
She finished with 5-16 off her four overs, including taking the last three Heat wickets in the space of four balls to guide the Scorchers home.
King finished as Player of the Match on three separate occasions overall, highlighting her impact as the leader of a young Scorchers bowling attack.
Saturday’s defeat to the Hobart Hurricanes saw the Scorchers finish in fifth place, with four wins and a draw during the shortened season.