At the age of 51 years and 171 days old, Joanne Hicks has written her name into the cricket history books. She has become the oldest-ever cricketer to take a five-wicket haul in international cricket, and also the first player to take a fifer after the age of 50. She also broke a 94-year-old record in the process.
Playing for Isle of Man – an island nation located between Great Britain and Ireland – Hicks took her five-wicket haul in a women’s T20I against Greece.
Ironmonger had set his record in 1932 – at the age of 49 years and 314 days – when he took two fifers in a Test against South Africa. A right-arm off-spinner, Hicks made her debut at the age of 47. This was her third five-wicket haul in T20I cricket, and her first after the age of 50. She has played 29 T20Is for Isle of Man till date, picking up 36 wickets at a superb economy rate of 4.12. Those two fifers had come when she was 49 years old. Hicks’ heroics helped Isle of Man bowl out Greece for a total of just 52 in 15 overs. She picked up five wickets and conceded just 10 runs in her four overs.
Hicks broke the record of Australia’s Bert Ironmonger of becoming the oldest cricketer to take an international five-wicket haul. Her two previous five-wicket hauls held the record for the oldest fifers in women’s international cricket. However, she now holds the record across genders. Isle of Man ended up chasing the total in just six overs.
