| Michaela Kirk | |
| Female: | true |
| Fullname: | Michaela Louise Kirk |
| Birth Date: | 30 June 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Bowling: | Right-arm off break |
| Role: | All-rounder
|
| Club1: | Northerns |
| Club2: | Nottinghamshire |
| Year2: | 2021–present |
| Club3: | The Blaze |
| Year3: | 2021–present |
| Club4: | Trent Rockets |
| Year4: | 2021 |
| Columns: | 2 |
| Column1: | WLA |
| Matches1: | 59 |
| Runs1: | 928 |
| Bat Avg1: | 17.84 |
| 100S/50S1: | 0/3 |
| Top Score1: | 58 |
| Deliveries1: | 1,046 |
| Wickets1: | 27 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 22.66 |
| Fivefor1: | 0 |
| Tenfor1: | 0 |
| Best Bowling1: | 4/0 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 25/4 |
| Column2: | WT20 |
| Matches2: | 46 |
| Runs2: | 601 |
| Bat Avg2: | 23.11 |
| 100S/50S2: | 0/1 |
| Top Score2: | 61 |
| Deliveries2: | 318 |
| Wickets2: | 11 |
| Bowl Avg2: | 22.36 |
| Fivefor2: | 0 |
| Tenfor2: | 0 |
| Best Bowling2: | 2/5 |
| Catches/Stumpings2: | 17/1 |
| Source: | https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1436/1436292/1436292.html CricketArchive |
| Date: | 17 October |
| Year: | 2023 |
Michaela Louise Kirk (born 30 June 1999) is a South African cricketer who currently plays for Nottinghamshire and The Blaze. She plays as a right-handed batter, right-arm off break bowler and occasional wicket-keeper. Having played for Northerns in South Africa between 2012/13 and 2019/20, in 2021 she moved to England to play cricket there, with ambitions to qualify for the national side.[1] [2] [3]
Kirk was born on 30 June 1999 in Johannesburg.[2] Her grandparents are from Edinburgh, which contributed to her family's decision to move back to England in 2021.[3]
Kirk made her debut for Northerns in 2012, against Easterns.[4] In her second season with the side, 2013/14, she took 6 wickets at an average of 7.00 in the Provincial T20 Competition.[5] In 2015/16, she was her side's second-leading run-scorer and second-leading wicket-taker, with 146 runs and 9 wickets (including a best bowling of 4/29).[6] [7] In the 2016/17 season, Kirk made her maiden half-century, scoring 52 against Easterns.[8] The following season she achieved her List A best bowling figures, taking 4 wickets for 0 runs in 1.3 overs against Easterns.[9] In 2019/20 she was her side's leading run scorer in both the Provincial League and the Provincial T20, with 140 runs and 127 runs, respectively.[10] [11] She has also appeared in the Women's T20 Super League for Duchesses.[2]
In 2021, Kirk moved to England, moving in with her grandparents and aiming to qualify to play for the national side.[3] For the 2021 season, she signed to play for Nottinghamshire in the Twenty20 Cup, Lightning in the regional competitions and Trent Rockets in The Hundred.[3]
For Nottinghamshire, she helped them win the East Midlands Group of the Twenty20 Cup and scored 122 runs at an average of 61.00, including hitting 61 on debut against Northamptonshire.[12] [13] She made her debut for Lightning on 29 May, against Southern Vipers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.[14] She went on to play four matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, scoring one half-century, 57 made against Sunrisers.[15] [16] She also played three matches for the side in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and three matches for Trent Rockets in The Hundred.[17] [18] During The Hundred in 2021, Kirk injured her anterior cruciate ligament, meaning that she missed the rest of the season, and most of the following season.[19] In 2022, therefore, she only appeared in two matches for Lightning, both in September in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.[20]
In 2023, she played one match for Nottinghamshire in the Women's Twenty20 Cup, scoring 49.[21] She played seven matches for The Blaze (the new name for Lightning) that season, with a top score of 40.[22] [23]