2022 is now over and what a year it was for the cricketing world, with two World Cups and two Asia Cups to look back on. Over the course of those four tournaments, countless fans tuned in to support their team and perhaps have a flutter on sportsbook sites like https://sportsbet.io, which makes following the action more exciting than ever.
So, with the year done and dusted and a new one on the horizon, it’s now time to cast a glance over the past 12 months and hand-pick the best moments from 2022. For those who love nothing more than to revisit the highlights of their favorite sport, there’s a treat in store for you in our brief recap below.
Australian women reign supreme
The first major cricketing event of the year got underway in March, as the eight best international teams from around the globe congregated in New Zealand to duke it out for the women’s ODI World Cup. Although the hosts qualified for the tournament automatically, they were narrowly edged out after the group stage. Instead, it was neighboring Australia who walked off with the title, as star player Alyssa Healey hit 170 runs from 138 balls in the final to see off a stubborn England side. That victory means they have now won the title seven times, which is almost double their nearest challenger (England, with three).
Sri Lankan men fight back
Fast forward to August and it was the turn of the men’s Asia Cup to take center stage in the cricketing world. The competition had been delayed two years due to Covid-19, which also resulted in it changing venues to the UAE, and the shake-up seemed to unsettle Sri Lanka, who fell to a shock defeat in their opening match against Afghanistan and almost exited the tournament after two games against Bangladesh. However, they dug deep to win not just that tie, but all remaining four of their campaign, too. Back-to-back victories against Pakistan were the icing on the cake of a rollercoaster of a tournament for the islanders.
Indian women top of Asia
The men’s Asia Cup competition was swiftly followed by the women’s edition of the same event, where India held an imperious record. To date, they had claimed six of the seven trophies on offer, with only Bangladesh denting their run last time out in 2018 (India still reached the final that year). True to form, India came racing out of the blocks to win five of their six group games, before seeing off Thailand in the semis and Sri Lanka in the final. There would be no resurgence for the women as there had been for the men, as they fell to India after just 8.3 overs in a crushing defeat.
England men claim second T20 title
Meanwhile, the men’s T20 World Cup took place later in October. Just as Sri Lanka had done in Asia, eventual winners England got off to a rocky start when losing their second match against unfancied Ireland, before rain stopped played in their third. However, they rallied from this underwhelming record to win all their remaining matches and finish second in the group, before besting India and Pakistan on their route to the trophy. Ben Stokes played a starring role in the final, capping a great 12 months for him in which he was also named the ICC’s Test Cricketer of the Year.
Which was your favorite moment from the world of cricket in 2022? Let us know in the comments below.