Bowling is an under-appreciated art, one that often tilts contests, with incisive spells capable of turning the course of a match in just a few overs. While batters build platforms, it is the bowlers who break partnerships, apply pressure, and create openings that can decide outcomes. The finest in the women’s game have stood out for their ability to combine control with penetration, consistently swinging matches in their team’s favour.
Here is a look at the greatest ODI bowlers in women’s cricket, ranked according to the ICC all-time rankings.
The figures below represent the highest ICC rating each bowler achieved during their ODI career.
10. Stafanie Taylor
801 v New Zealand, 2013
Stafanie Taylor’s ODI career has been defined as much by her off-spin as by her batting. Since debuting in 2008, she has 155 wickets in the format, the second-highest for the West Indies. In 2013, she made history by simultaneously achieving the No.1 rank among ODI batters and bowlers, the only player to achieve this across men’s and women’s cricket.
9. Sophie Ecclestone
802 v New Zealand, 2024
Sophie Ecclestone, a left-arm spinner noted for her control and economy, made her England debut in 2016 at the age of 17. She broke into England’s first-choice team during the 2017-18 Ashes and has since established herself as a key figure in ODIs. At the 2022 World Cup, she finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 21, helping England reach the final. Consistently difficult to score off, she has an economy rate of 3.68, and has given more than 4.50 runs an over just 12 times in 74 innings.
8. Jess Jonassen
808 v New Zealand, 2021
Jess Jonassen made her ODI debut in 2012 and quickly became a central figure in Australia’s bowling attack. A left-arm spinner with the ability to bowl in all phases of an innings, she has played 93 ODIs, taking more than 141 wickets at an average of 19.60. Since her debut, no other Australia bowler has taken more wickets in the format, while only Marizanne Kapp (162) and Shabnim Ismail (159) have more globally. She also grabbed 13 wickets in the 2022 World Cup as Australia claimed yet another title.
7. Lisa Sthalekar
808 v India, 2012
The only player to feature in the top ten of both the batting and the bowling lists, Sthalekar was a key off-spinner in the national ODI side. Making her debut in 2001, she went on to play 125 matches, taking 146 wickets at an economy rate of 3.66 (along with scoring 2,728 runs). She featured in three World Cups between 2005 and 2013, picking up 30 wickets. She had her breakout season in 2009, when she claimed 24 wickets at 19.12, the fourth-most ODI wickets by an Australian woman in a calendar year.
6. Katherine Sciver-Brunt
812 v India, 2013
Katherine Sciver-Brunt became the spearhead of England’s ODI attack after making her debut in 2005. Across 141 matches, she took 170 wickets, cementing her place among the most successful seamers in the women’s game. She represented England in five World Cups and got six scalps in the victorious 2009 edition. She also delivered standout spells against Australia in several Ashes contests, finishing her career with 34 scalps against them in 29 ODIs. Injuries often interrupted her progress, but whenever fully fit, she remained England’s leading strike bowler for over a decade, picking up five five-fors, the second-most in women’s cricket.
5. Neetu David
813 v New Zealand, 2005
Neetu David, one of the finest left-arm spinners produced by India, was renowned for her flight and control. She played 97 matches between 1995 and 2008, claiming 141 wickets at an average of 16.34. She featured in three World Cups and played a pivotal role in the 2005 edition despite playing on the unhelpful conditions of South Africa. She claimed 20 wickets at 8.35, and is one of five players with at least 20 wickets in a World Cup edition.
4. Shelley Nitschke
814 v New Zealand, 2011
Shelley Nitschke entered Australia’s ODI side in 2005 at the age of 28 and made an immediate impact. A left-arm spinner, she was instrumental in Australia’s successful World Cup campaign that year, finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 11 scalps at a stunning average of 8.27. In her first year, she also starred in the away series win against England, taking eight wickets in four games. In addition to her bowling, Nitschke was also a long-time opener, making 2,047 runs to go with her 98 wickets.
3. Jhulan Goswami
816 v New Zealand, 2007
For a fast bowler to emerge from India and sustain dominance for two decades required rare determination; for a woman to achieve it in an era of limited facilities was even more extraordinary. Jhulan Goswami became the face of Indian pace bowling, playing 204 ODIs and claiming 255 wickets, the most in women’s cricket, at an economy of 3.37. She featured in five World Cups, taking India to the finals in 2005 and 2017, and was honoured as the ICC Women’s Player of the Year in 2007. She delivered 10,005 balls - the only one to bowl over 7,000 deliveries in the format - and is one of only two women, alongside Mithali Raj, to play ODIs for over 20 years. Truly inspiring.
2. Catherine Campbell
819 v England, 2000
Catherine Campbell made her ODI debut for New Zealand at the 1988 World Cup in Australia and went on to play 85 matches in the format. Across her career, she picked up 69 wickets. She featured in three World Cups for New Zealand, in 1988, 1993, and 1997, picking up 29 wickets at an average of 22.55, at an economy rate of just 2.32.
1. Cathryn Fitzpatrick
881 v New Zealand, 2004
Cathryn Fitzpatrick was regarded as the fastest bowler in women’s cricket, often clocking in excess of 75mph. She played 109 ODIs for Australia, picking up 180 wickets, which is the third-best in the format. She was a key part of their World Cup-winning sides in 1997 and 2005, picking up 12 and 10 wickets, respectively.
In June 2005, she became the first woman to take 150 wickets in the format, reaching the landmark against Ireland. Her economy rate stood at 3.01, underlining her consistency across 14 years in ODIs. She is also the oldest woman to take an ODI five-for, picking up 5-29 against India at the age of 37 years and 358 days. No other bowler in women’s ODIs achieved more than 850 rating points, a testimony to her brilliance.
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