One of the most significant and celebrated careers in modern English women’s cricket has come to an end with the retirement of Katherine Sciver-Brunt.
Brunt, who debuted in 2004, played 267 matches for England, taking 335 wickets across formats. Her debut came a decade before the introduction of central contracts in women’s cricket.
Brunt’s achievements include winning three World Cups and four Ashes series, with her being England’s leading wicket-taker in both white-ball formats. She is also the only player in the history of women’s cricket to have taken a minimum of 50 wickets in all three international formats.
After retiring from regional cricket, Brunt went unsold during the inaugural WPL auction but will continue playi🦹ng for Trent Rockets in . Her last game for England was in the💮 2023 T20 World Cup semi-final defeat against South Africa.
“I never had any dreams or aspirations to do what I’ve done, I only ever wished to make my family proud of me. And what I’ve achieved has gone way beyond that,” Brunt said in her official statement.
She added: “I have so much to be thankful for, cricket has given me a purpose, a sense of belonging, security, many golden memories and best friends that will last a lifetime. Of the trophies and titles I could have wished to achieve, I have reached them all, but my greatest achievement is the happiness that I have found in Nat.
“It has been a huge honour representing England for so long and I’d like to thank all of the England cricket family past and present for making my time a special one. The supporters – you are awesome, without you we wouldn’t be able to do what it is that we love and the atmosphere you guys create is irreplaceable.
“The biggest thanks I have though goes to my family, they are my biggest fans and greatest support without which I wouldn’t have made this journey at all.”
With her all-round ability, including scoring more than 2,000 international runs at a strike rate of over 98, Brunt has been one of the most influential players of the England women’s team in recent years. Her consistency, dedication and never-give-up attitude have made her a role model for younger players.
This article was first published at , a Cricket Times company.
