Numbers foretell a record-breaking T20 World Cup

February 2020 sees the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup played in Australia for the first time. The stage is set for the tournament to break records and in doing so, showcase women’s cricket like never before. In the eleven years since the first edition of the tournament, the women’s game has undergone enormous changes both on and off the field, with Australia frequently at the vanguard of that movement.

Previous editions of the tournament have largely had run-rates hovering around 6.00 runs per over but Australia 2020 is unlikely to follow that trend.

At the elite levels of the women’s game worldwide, run-rates have skyrocketed. The women’s T20I run-rate in 2019 for matches between the ODI nations (7.10 rpo) is currently the highest for any calendar year in which more than one such match has taken place.

Women’s T20I run-rate in matches between ODI nations

The women's T20I run-rate in Australia has historically been the highest of the ODI nations (an average of 6.67 rpo since 2005). Since the 2017 World Cup, Australia remains among the fastest scoring locations for women’s T20I cricket.

Women’s T20I run rate in ODI host nations since the 2017 World Cup

RpW = runs per wicket, BpW = balls per wicket, RPO = runs per over

In the 57 women’s T20Is played in Australia there have been 22 totals of 150+ runs - 14 of those innings have been played in the 16 matches since the 2017 World Cup. The 2019-20 season alone has featured six such totals, including the only two in excess of 200.

Women’s T20Is in Australia

The increased scoring rates have also coincided with an increase in the fortunes of chasing sides. Since the 2017 World Cup just one first innings total of under 150 runs has been successfully defended in women’s T20Is in Australia.

The record T20I run rates seen in Australia and across established women’s cricketing nations in recent times has been due to an enormous increase in the rate of boundary hitting over the last few years.

Women’s T20I balls faced per six in matches played between ODI nations

77 sixes were hit in the 41 women’s T20I matches played in Australia before the 2017 World Cup. That figure has now almost doubled, with 72 sixes hit in just sixteen women’s T20Is since.

Sixes are now hit in Australia at almost three times the rate they were in the early days of the format. The rate at which fours are scored has also significantly increased during the same period.

Over half of all the 50+ scores made in women’s T20Is in Australia (24 out of 46) have occurred since the 2017 World Cup, including all five centuries. Australia has now played host to more women’s T20 international hundreds than any other nation, despite the first not being made until 2017.

The only women’s T20 matches ever to feature a century on both sides have both taken place in Australia in the last three seasons (Australia v England at Manuka Oval in 2017, and Australia v Sri Lanka at North Sydney in 2019).

Manuka Oval and Junction Oval, which will host five group games each, are among the fastest scoring grounds in women’s cricket. Of the grounds to have hosted five or more women’s T20Is, Manuka and the Junction have the fourth and fifth highest run rates in the world:

Unless otherwise stated, all stats from now on refer to matches played between the ten ODI nations plus Thailand.

T20I win/loss since the start of 2018

Having won all fourteen limited overs series or tournaments they’ve played since the start of 2018, Australia start as heavy favourites to retain their world title. England, New Zealand and India are the only other sides that have a winning record in that time.

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At the other end of the scale, Sri Lanka’s dismal record reflects the fact that their last win in any women’s international format was their group stage win versus Bangladesh during the 2018 edition of this tournament. Sri Lanka are currently in the midst of a ten-game losing streak in T20Is, their worst-ever run in the format and the sixth-longest for any women’s side. West Indies haven't fared much better, as they begin the tournament on a nine-match losing run. In T20Is away from home, West Indies haven’t won a run-chase since 2016.

Australia pose a similar threat whether batting first or chasing.

Win/loss batting first vs ODI nations & Thailand since the start of 2018

Win/loss fielding first vs ODI nations & Thailand since the start of 2018

Of the ten competing teams, Australia unsurprisingly have the highest run rate (8.19 rpo) since the start of 2018, and also significantly outperform the rest in terms of average runs and balls (25.18) per dismissal. Australia’s run rate of 8.68 rpo in 2019 was the highest by any women’s T20I side for a calendar year.

T20I team batting run rate vs ODI nations & Thailand since the start of 2018

With Sophie Devine in the form of her life, New Zealand are the side that clear the ropes most often (36.36 balls per six). Australia are second in terms of balls per six and are by far the most accomplished side at finding fours (one every six balls faced). England’s impressive non-boundary strike rate (66.46) allows them to ameliorate a relative lack of power compared with other top nations. Tournament debutants Thailand have hit just three sixes in their eleven matches v ODI nations, and also come up last in terms of non-boundary SR. It should be noted that the majority of their matches in question have been played in unfavourable batting conditions.

T20I batting stats vs ODI nations & Thailand since the start of 2018

Australia’s vaunted batting depth garners most of the headlines, but they are similarly impressive with the ball. Despite playing much of their cricket in home conditions favourable to batting, they have the 3^rd best economy rate since the start of 2018. The number that particularly catches the eye with Australia is their remarkable bowling strike rate of (15.5 balls per wicket), which is well ahead of all other nations.

While Thailand and Bangladesh’s bowling economy rates might surprise, they should be viewed in context with their batting run rates in relatively low scoring games, though bowling will still be the stronger suit for both nations during the World Cup.

T20I bowling economy rate vs ODI nations & Thailand since 2018

New Zealand’s impressive batting run-rate hasn’t contributed to a better win/loss record because they have often struggled to contain sides with the ball (7.11 rpo). Only Sri Lanka have fared worse in terms of economy rate among the T20 World Cup sides. The Kiwis are also one of just two sides, (the other is West Indies) to have picked a squad with no potential left-arm bowling options.

Women’s T20I bowling in Australia since the 2017 World Cup

Squad experience

At an average of 28 years 141 days, New Zealand’s squad is the oldest in the tournament and India’s (23 years 143 days) is the youngest. The oldest player selected is Sri Lanka’s Dilani Manodara (08/12/1982) and the youngest is Pakistan’s Ayesha Naseem (07/08/2004). Eighteen teenagers have been selected for the tournament. Naseem is one of four fifteen year-olds to feature. England are the only nation not to have selected any players born after 2000.

As well as being among the most capped squads at international level, Australia are at a distinct advantage in terms of match experience in professional domestic T20. Their squad have amassed over 1,000 combined appearances in the WBBL and other competitions.

Most appearances in professional domestic T20 competitions (WBBL, KSL and IPL T20 Challenge):
Excludes the first IPL T20 Challenge exhibition match in 2018, as that game didn’t have T20 status.  

For the nations that don’t host their own professional tournament, an impressive ten of New Zealand’s squad and eight of South Africa’s have experience in professional domestic T20. Among nations that do host their own competitions, England (12) have had the most squad members feature in overseas tournaments. Australia have 6 and India 5.

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New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest are tied for most career appearances at this level.

Most professional domestic T20 appearances: