South African rising star Annerie Dercksen has been crowned the ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year for 2024, beating out tough competition from Scotland’s Saskia Horley, India’s Shreyanka Patil, and Ireland’s Freya Sargent.
Dercksen made her international debut for South Africa in January 2023 during a T20I triangular series against India and West Indies, and has been a fixture in the team ever since.
While she played in five T20Is in her debut year, the all-rounder truly established herself on the international stage in 2024, making her Test and ODI debuts as well.
Dercksen’s impressive 2024 stats include 161 runs and 5 wickets in 17 T20Is, 60 runs in 2 Tests, and 70 runs and 6 wickets in 4 ODIs.
She showed great composure with the bat, demonstrating the ability to rebuild an innings and guide a chase when needed, including a crucial 27 in South Africa’s sole victory in the limited-overs series against England late in the year.
As a medium pacer, Dercksen also picked up 11 wickets, showcasing her potential as a genuine all-rounder.
She was a key member of South Africa’s impressive run to the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, where they ultimately fell short against New Zealand.
Dercksen maintained a strong T20I average of 32.2 and often rescued South Africa from difficult situations, while also showing the ability to increase the scoring rate despite batting in the lower order early in the year before moving up to the middle order.
Her bowling was even more impressive in the longer white-ball format, with a career-best of 3/16 against England in the first ODI.
She also performed well in tough Test matches against India and England, with a best of 41 in Bloemfontein, where she helped rebuild the innings with a 92-run partnership for the second wicket.
In the lead-up to the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, Dercksen had limited batting opportunities in the T20I series against Pakistan, but made the most of her chance in the series decider.
In the series decider, South Africa faced a daunting chase of 154 runs. The early dismissal of Tazmin Brits and Anneke Bosch retiring hurt at a crucial juncture left the team in a precarious position.
However, Dercksen stepped up under pressure, delivering a scintillating unbeaten 44 off just 23 balls. Her innings featured six boundaries and two massive sixes, taking on the seasoned bowlers Nida Dar and Sadia Iqbal with remarkable confidence.
Dercksen’s explosive performance led South Africa to a thrilling series-clinching victory and earned her the well-deserved Player of the Match award.