American Tara Norris becomes the new hero of cricket with her first five-wicket haul in WPL

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a long and storied history with cricket, and now a new name has been etched in its annals.  Tara Norris becomes the new hero, a left-arm swing bowler originally from Philadelphia, and made her debut for the USA women’s cricket team in October 2021. She was the only Associate player bought in the Women’s Premier League auction at the lowest base price of INR 10 lakh (USD 12,200 approx), and in her first game, she made headlines by ripping through the RCB batting line-up with the first five-wicket haul of the WPL.
Tara Norris’ atypical journey to cricket stardom
Norris’ journey to the WPL in India is atypical, as she grew up playing tennis, soccer, and swimming before moving to Sussex, England, where she first encountered cricket. Her natural athleticism meant she was fast-tracked into the Sussex Women’s age-group teams, and she was chosen for an England Academy side later that summer. Norris was given a full-time contract by Southern Vipers in 2020-21 and was part of the original squad for Southern Brave in the first season of The Hundred.
USA’s new cricket hero makes an impact in debut
However, her progress on the England pathway had stalled, and it was over the summer that then USA Women’s head coach and former Australia international Julia Price reached out to see if Norris was interested in representing the country of her birth. She made an immediate impact on her debut, taking four wickets in five matches with an economy of 1.72, as she helped the USA win the 2021 ICC Americas Women’s T20 Qualifier in Mexico City and advance to the T20 World Cup Global Qualifier.
Norris’ opportunities in England dwindled, but her fortunes turn with the WPL spell
Norris’ opportunities began to dwindle in Sussex, both with the Vipers and Southern Brave. She was benched all season during The Hundred in 2022 and was not retained ahead of the draft scheduled for March 23. However, on Sunday, her fortunes took a turn for the better as she bowled a scintillating spell in the WPL, dismissing Ellyse Perry, Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh, Kanika Ahuja, and England captain Heather Knight.
By the end of Delhi’s game against RCB, Norris had become a hero of American cricket, and her stocks may be significantly higher upon re-entering The Hundred draft later this month. With her natural athleticism and left-arm swing, she is a real competitor on the pitch and a new star in the world of women’s cricket.