Lizelle Lee retires: Ranking the South African star’s best knocks
Lizelle Lee retires: Ranking the South African star’s best knocks. When South African opener Lizelle Lee announced her retirement from international cricket on Wednesday (8 July), it came as a shock to the cricket community.
Since her first international match in 2013, Lee has been a pivotal part of South Africa’s top order. She scored 5253 runs for her country in 184 matches and also held the record for the most catches in an innings in Twenty20 Internationals (4).
Especially in one-day internationals (ODIs), Lee was an absolute terror to play against, earning her the title of ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2021.
Lee’s decisive strokes have swung the match in South Africa’s favor on numerous occasions. Some of her most impressive defeats are detailed below.
5 – 101 off 60, v Thailand, 2020
When Lee hit a century against Thailand in the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, she became the first South African player to do it. As a side note, this was her first-ever century in the shortest format of the game.
South Africa lost their skipper, Dane van Niekerk, early in their innings after electing to bat first, but Lee and Sune Luus put on a T20 batting clinic. Lee started things off with two fours in the first over and never looked back. She reached fifty off of only 36 balls, and she accomplished it in style by hitting a six.
Those subsequent 50 runs came in even less time for the lightning-fast opener. She reached 100 with 4 but was promptly dismissed on the next delivery. Together, they smashed 131 runs off 72 balls, setting the tone for a mammoth total of 196. Thailand’s reply was to be bowled out for just 82 runs.
4 – 132* off 131 v India, 2021
In a March 2021 ODI against India in Lucknow, Lee scored 132*, which was her highest individual ODI score.
Lee started off strong as the team chased 249 to win in Lucknow, while the rest of the batting struggled to get going due to the slow pitch. Even though both Laura Wolvaardt and Lara Goodall scored under 50, the opener reached her fifty in just 56 balls.
After a magnificent inning of 132*, the match was called off owing to rain, and Lizelle Lee was named Player of the Match.
3 – 92 off 65 v India, 2017
Lee was an integral part of South Africa’s 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup team that advanced to the semifinals. She made her debut in the 50-over main event and immediately made an impact, scoring two fifty-plus scores in her first three games and a spectacular ninety-two against India.
In his second innings against India, Lee got rolling with two fours and a six from Shikha Pandey.
In response to South Africa’s 273/9, India’s total of 235 fell short by 115 runs due to the superior performance of the South African bowling attack.
2 – 77 off 130 v Bangladesh, 2013
Lee displayed her talent on her first international appearance in 2013 when she scored 50 and was named the match’s Player of the Match.
South African bowlers did their job effectively, limiting Bangladesh to 149 runs. Lizelle Lee and Trisha Chetty, opening the innings, made sure complacency didn’t set in as they chased a low score. After a slow start, the explosive opening really started to heat up. After losing two early wickets, she and Chetty put up an 80-run opening partnership.
Lee reached fifty off 102 balls, but she picked up the pace after that. She was out for 77 when South Africa needed only three more runs to win, but she finished the game strong.
1 – 102 off 89 v Australia, 2016
In 2016, against Australia, Lizelle Lee made her first one-day international century. Lee’s knock was disappointing because it was scored in a losing cause, but it is still considered to be one of her best knocks because of the pressure she was under.
After South Africa choose to bat first, Lee was left to fight on his own. At one stage, with Lee’s blitzkrieg in full swing, the Proteas were cruising along at 142/2. Lee, being Lee, hit a six to reach her fifty and then proceeded to run up the score by repeatedly hitting the Australian bowlers for four.
The century was scored off 86 balls, but the dramatic collapse was sparked by a wicket off Mignon du Preez. Lee was out shortly after achieving her first century, an innings that included six fours and seven sixes. As a team, South Africa scored 173, with Lee contributing 102 runs.
Lizelle Lee retires: Ranking the South African star’s best knocks.