Nat Sciver-Brunt Explained: England Women's Most Complete All-Rounder
Who Nat Sciver-Brunt is — England women's premier all-rounder, her 2023 Ashes heroics, the unorthodox 'Natmeg' shot she invented, her mental health break from cricket in 2022, and why she is considered England women's best all-round cricketer.
Nat Sciver-Brunt (born 1992, Tokyo; raised in England) is England women's premier all-rounder — a right-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm medium-fast bowler. She is consistently ranked in the top three ICC women's all-rounder rankings and has been England's most important women's cricketer across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is since approximately 2018. She married fellow England women's cricketer Katherine Brunt in 2022 and added Brunt to her surname — one of cricket's most publicly prominent same-sex marriages.
The Natmeg Shot
Nat Sciver-Brunt invented a shot now widely called the 'Natmeg' — a scoop played through the legs that bisects the keeper and leg gully field, sending the ball backwards through the fielder's legs (like a football nutmeg). The shot emerged in T20 cricket where the geometry of fielding placements creates a gap behind square leg on the on-side; Sciver-Brunt developed it as a specific response to the field settings deployed against her. The shot is technically demanding — it requires the batsman to get outside off-stump for a ball on middle or leg stump and play backward with extreme precision — and was immediately adopted by other women's cricketers who learned it from watching her.
2023 Ashes and Test Return
Nat Sciver-Brunt's 2023 Women's Ashes performances were decisive in England's overall Ashes campaign — the multi-format series (one Test, three ODIs, three T20Is) ended drawn at 8-8 after England won 2-1 in T20s and Australia won 2-1 in ODIs with the Test drawn. Sciver-Brunt contributed across formats: her batting was England's most reliable, averaging above 50 for the series. The drawn result allowed Australia to retain the Ashes (they entered the series as holders), but England's performance was widely seen as the most competitive women's Ashes series in years.
Bowling and All-Round Impact
Sciver-Brunt's bowling — right-arm medium-fast, typically 80–85 km/h — is deceptive for its accuracy and movement rather than pace. In women's cricket, her bowling pace is competitive (the women's bowling pace range is generally 60–95 km/h for medium-fast bowlers) and she generates outswing reliably. The combination of consistent batting (averaging 40+ in ODIs) and reliable bowling (economy rate below 5.0 in T20Is) makes her genuinely valuable in all three formats — rare in any format of international cricket. England's women's team plans around her availability; matches where she is injured typically see England's balance compromised.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Natmeg shot?
A batting shot invented by Nat Sciver-Brunt — a scoop played backward through the legs that sends the ball between the wicketkeeper and leg gully. Named after the football 'nutmeg' (passing the ball through an opponent's legs). Sciver-Brunt developed it as a T20 innovation to exploit gaps behind square; it has been adopted by other women's cricketers worldwide.
Why did Nat Sciver-Brunt take a break from cricket?
Mental health — she described feeling burnt-out and unable to enjoy cricket in 2022, stepping away from the England squad and The Hundred for approximately six weeks. The break was supported by the ECB. She returned to cricket and played at her best level in the 2023 Ashes. Her public openness about the break is widely credited with normalising mental health discussions in women's cricket.
Is Nat Sciver-Brunt the best England women's cricketer?
She is England's most impactful all-rounder — her combination of batting (ODI average 40+) and bowling (T20I economy below 5.0) is England's most complete individual contribution. Other candidates for England's best women's player include Tammy Beaumont (top-order batting), Sophie Ecclestone (world's top-ranked women's spinner), and Katherine Brunt (pace bowling, now in later career). Sciver-Brunt's all-round value is uniquely irreplaceable.