Two ICC World Test Championship winners along with a reliable Sri Lanka opener are among the three nominees for June.
Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka)
Pathum Nissanka kicked off the fourth WTC cycle in style with back-to-back tons in a Test series winning performance for Sri Lanka.
After Bangladesh had posted 495 in good batting conditions in Galle, Nissanka took charge with the willow and scored a career-best 187. Laden with 24 boundaries, including a six, Nissanka’s knock was the only hundred for Sri Lanka in the innings. But it helped Sri Lanka buy time and reach within 10 runs of Bangladesh’s total.
His positive intent remained in the second innings, as Sri Lanka played out a tricky 32-over patch towards the end of the Test, where Nissanka scored a feisty 24, as the hosts managed a draw.
Carrying on his form into the second Test, Nissanka was yet again the island nation’s lone centurion in the game. After Bangladesh were bowled out for 247 on a surface that helped spinners, Nissanka took charge with the bat and slammed 158. He hit 19 boundaries during his innings and helped Sri Lanka take a handy lead of 211 runs.
This proved to be adequate as Sri Lanka won by an innings and 78 runs.
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Aiden Markram (South Africa)
South Africa opener Aiden Markram made his mark in the Proteas’ historic ICC World Test Championship triumph last month.
He was first asked to contribute with the ball after Steve Smith and Beau Webster had stitched a useful stand, and responded with Smith’s wicket off his sixth ball.
He played on without scoring a run against Mitchell Starc in the first innings for South Africa, but had yet to play a crucial role in the Test.
After South Africa had conceded a lead of 74, they fought back with the ball, but a sturdy 10th wicket stand between Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood added 59 runs to boost Australia. As the lead hit 281, Markram stood tall, first with the ball, removing Hazlewood, and then with the willow.
Overcoming Ryan Rickelton’s (6) early dismissal, Markram stitched crucial stands with Wiaan Mulder and Temba Bavuma. When the South African skipper suffered an injury concern, and wondered if he’d be good enough to contribute alongside Markram, the latter assured him in the dressing room and the duo got South Africa closer to a historic win.
Markram eventually fell for a majestic 136, but settled the Proteas for their first ICC senior men’s trophy in 27 years.
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
South Africa’s cause with the ball in the World Test Championship Final was led by the relentless Kagiso Rabada. While the conditions changed over the three days that South Africa bowled, Rabada’s 33.4 overs yielded merely 110 runs, while the pacer ran through the Australian batting more than once.
He drew first blood on an overcast Day 1 with Usman Khawaja’s wicket at Lord’s and picked up four more wickets to collect his 17th five-wicket haul and go past Proteas great Allan Donald in the wickets tally in Test cricket.
But Rabada had little time to sit on his laurels, as South Africa were bundled out for merely 138 in the first innings.
However, the pacer struck first blows for South Africa yet again, dismissing Khawaja and then Cameron Green (0) in the space of three balls. He picked up Alex Carey and Nathan Lyon further, to ensure that Australia didn’t run away with the game.
South Africa managed to take the Ultimate Test by five wickets in a chase of 282.
Rabada finished the Test with 336 wickets and sits fourth on all-time wicket-takers list for South Africa bowlers in the format.
