Dubai, September 17: Sri Lanka’s Sonal Dinusha and Isle of Man captain Lucy Barnett have won the ICC player of the month awards for August, recognising a Test hundred-scoring run against India and a record-breaking tournament in European cricket.
Dinusha’s twin hundreds seal the men’s award
Dinusha, 25, scored three centuries in four innings during Sri Lanka’s World Test Championship series against India. He made 100 and 84 in the first Test, then followed on in the second Test at Colombo and replied with 103 and 133 not out in a match that ended in a draw.
The left-hander became only the third batter to score a century in both innings after following on. He was up against England’s Ollie Robinson and Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud for the award, and the recognition comes early in a Test career that has so far spanned five matches.
“This recognition means so much to me, especially early in my career,” Dinusha said. “The series against India will always hold special significance.”
Barnett’s Continental Cup runs land women’s prize
Barnett, the Isle of Man captain and an opening batter, won the women’s award for her performances in the Continental Cup T20Is in Romania. She scored 257 runs in four matches at an average of 128.5 and a strike rate of 178.47, including an unbeaten 123 against Norway, and finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer. She also took four wickets.
Barnett is the first ICC award winner from the Isle of Man. “Winning this award is incredible and still feels unbelievable,” she said. “I’m immensely proud and will cherish this for a long time.”
The winners were chosen through a combination of votes from registered fans at icc-cricket.com and a specialist panel of former players and media representatives.
