Australia youngster Phoebe Litchfield has beaten a strong field to claim the ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year award for 2023.

Litchfield edged out Bangladesh teenager Marufa Akter, England quick Lauren Bell and Scotland all-rounder Darcey Carter for the coveted award on the back of a remarkable 12 months at the top of Australia's strong batting order.

**Phoebe Litchfield in 2023 **

87 Test runs at 21.75
344 ODI runs at 49.14
88 T20I runs at 88

The year that was

Litchfield started the year in great touch as she smashed consecutive unbeaten half-centuries in her first two ODI contests at home against Pakistan.

Despite narrowly missing out on selection for Australia's squad at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Litchfield returned to international action in the middle of the year in Europe when producing a Player of the Match performance and a first career century when amassing an unbeaten 106* against Ireland in Dublin.

Litchfield then smashed five sixes and an unbeaten 52* from just 19 deliveries in her first T20I contest of the year against the West Indies at the start of October, before contributing a decent knock of 27 in the third and final ODI against the Caribbean side in a victory in Melbourne.

Memorable performance

Litchfield's best effort with the bat came when she scored her maiden ODI century with an unbeaten 106* from 114 deliveries against Ireland in Dublin at the end of July.

The 20-year-old entered the match on the back of three single-figure scores and needed to spend some time in the middle and make a valuable contribution to build on the promise she displayed earlier in the year.

The left-hander did all that and more as she combined with fellow youngster Annabel Sutherland (109) to put Ireland to the sword by reaching triple figures in style and guiding Australia to another series-clinching victory.