Grace Ballinger
{{short description|English cricketer (born 2002)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Grace Ballinger
| female = true
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| fullname = Grace Ballinger
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2002|4|3|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Birmingham, England
| nickname =
| heightft =
| heightinch =
| heightcm =
| heightm =
| batting = Left-handed
| bowling = Left-arm medium
| role = Bowler
| family =
| international =
| country =
| internationalspan =
| club1 = Warwickshire
| year1 = 2018–2020
| club2 = The Blaze
| year2 = 2020–present
| club3 = Leicestershire
| year3 = 2021–2024
| club4 = London Spirit
| year4 = 2022
| club5 = Northern Superchargers
| year5 = {{nowrap|2023–present}}
| columns = 2
| column1 = WLA
| matches1 = 38
| runs1 = 128
| bat avg1 = 16.00
| 100s/50s1 = 0/0
| top score1 = 25
| deliveries1 = 1,642
| wickets1 = 48
| bowl avg1 = 27.14
| fivefor1 = 1
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 5/29
| catches/stumpings1 = 9/–
| column2 = WT20
| matches2 = 67
| runs2 = 252
| bat avg2 = 15.75
| 100s/50s2 = 0/2
| top score2 = 59*
| deliveries2 = 1,101
| wickets2 = 44
| bowl avg2 = 26.79
| fivefor2 = 0
| tenfor2 = 0
| best bowling2 = 3/6
| catches/stumpings2 = 5/–
| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1465/1465070/1465070.html CricketArchive
| date = 19 October
| year = 2024
}}
Grace Ballinger (born 3 April 2002) is an English cricketer who currently plays for The Blaze and Northern Superchargers. She plays as a left-arm medium bowler. She previously played for Leicestershire, Warwickshire and London Spirit.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/1230762.html|title=Player Profile: Grace Ballinger|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=30 March 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1465/1465070/1465070.html|title=Player Profile: Grace Ballinger|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=30 March 2021}}
Early life
Ballinger was born on 3 April 2002 in Birmingham. She studies English Literature at Loughborough University.
Domestic career
Ballinger made her county debut in 2018, for Warwickshire against Sussex.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/1063/1063168.html|title=Warwickshire Women v Sussex Women, 24 June 2018|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=30 March 2021}} She played four matches in the Twenty20 Cup that season, with her best performance coming against Middlesex, in which she took 2/30.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1465/1465070/Womens_Twenty20_Matches.html|title=Women's Twenty20 Matches played by Grace Ballinger|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=30 March 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/1063/1063175.html|title=Middlesex Women v Warwickshire Women, 1 July 2018|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=30 March 2021}} The following season, she played two matches as Warwickshire won the 2019 Women's Twenty20 Cup. In 2021, it was announced that Ballinger had signed for Leicestershire.{{cite web|url=https://www.leicestershireccc.co.uk/news/2021/april/women-sign-lightning-trio.html |title=Women sign Lightning trio |publisher=Leicestershire County Cricket Club |access-date=19 April 2021}} She played five matches for the side in the Twenty20 Cup that season, scoring 71 runs and taking 2 wickets.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/35/Vitality_Womens_County_T20_2021/Leicestershire_Women_Batting.html|title=Batting and Fielding for Leicestershire Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2021|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=28 September 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/35/Vitality_Womens_County_T20_2021/Leicestershire_Women_Bowling.html|title=Bowling for Leicestershire Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2021|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=28 September 2021}} In the 2022 Women's Twenty20 Cup, she was Leicestershire's leading run-scorer and leading wicket-taker, with 156 runs and 10 wickets.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/35/Vitality_Womens_County_T20_2022/Leicestershire_Women_Batting.html |title=Batting and Fielding for Leicestershire Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2022|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=2 October 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/35/Vitality_Womens_County_T20_2022/Leicestershire_Women_Bowling.html|title=Bowling for Leicestershire Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2022|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=2 October 2022}} She scored two half-centuries, against Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, as well as taking her Twenty20 best bowling figures of 3/6, also against Lincolnshire.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/1198/1198955.html|title=Leicestershire Women v Lincolnshire Women, 18 April 2022 |publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=2 October 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/1208/1208068.html|title=Leicestershire Women v Northamptonshire Women,8 May 2022 |publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=2 October 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/1198/1198953.html|title=Leicestershire Women v Lincolnshire Women, 18 April 2022 |publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=2 October 2022}}
In 2020, Ballinger played for Lightning in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. She appeared in three matches, scoring 5 runs and bowling 11 overs for no wicket.{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=13711;team=6770;type=tournament|title=Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Lightning|publisher=ESPNCricinfo|access-date=30 March 2021}} In 2021, she took seven wickets for the side across the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup.{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=13889;team=6770;type=tournament |title=Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021 - Lightning/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=28 September 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=13890;team=6770;type=tournament |title=Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Lightning/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=28 September 2021}} She played ten matches for the side in 2022, across the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, and took nine wickets at an average of 17.77 in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=14446;team=6770;type=tournament |title=Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022 - Lightning/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=2 October 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=14448;team=6770;type=tournament |title=Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Lightning/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=2 October 2022}} Against North West Thunder in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Ballinger took her maiden five-wicket haul, returning figures of 5/29.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy-2022-1297659/lightning-vs-thunder-1297933/match-reportt |title=Kathryn Bryce, Grace Ballinger lead Lightning to five-wicket win over Thunder |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=2 October 2022}} She also played two matches for London Spirit in The Hundred.{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=14454;team=6693;type=tournament |title=Records/The Hundred Women's Competition, 2022 - London Spirit (Women)/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=2 October 2022}} In February 2023, it was announced that Ballinger had signed her first professional contract with Lightning, now known as The Blaze.{{cite web|url=https://www.trentbridge.co.uk/news/2023/march/trio-awarded-contracts-with-the-blaze.html |title=Trio Awarded Contracts With The Blaze |date=1 February 2023 |access-date=1 February 2023}}
In 2023, she played 21 matches for The Blaze, across the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and was the side's leading wicket-taker in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 18 wickets at an average of 23.44.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/averages-batting-bowling-by-team/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy-2023-15157?team=6771 |title=Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2023 - The Blaze/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=17 October 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/averages-batting-bowling-by-team/charlotte-edwards-cup-2023-15158?team=6771 |title=Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - The Blaze/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=17 October 2023}} She also played 10 matches for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, taking 5 wickets.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/averages-batting-bowling-by-team/the-hundred-women-s-competition-2023-15217?team=6694 |title=Records/The Hundred Women's Competition, 2023 - Northern Superchargers (Women)/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=17 October 2023}} In 2024, she played 26 matches for The Blaze, across the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup, taking 28 wickets with a best bowling of 4/23.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/averages-batting-bowling-by-team/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy-2024-16243?team=7045 |title=Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2024 - The Blaze/Batting and Bowling Averages |website=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=19 October 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/averages-batting-bowling-by-team/charlotte-edwards-cup-2024-15944?team=7045 |title=Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024 - The Blaze/Batting and Bowling Averages |website=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=19 October 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cricinfo|id=1230762}}
- {{cricketarchive|id=1465070}}
{{The Blaze (women's cricket) squad}}
{{Northern Superchargers squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballinger, Grace}}
Category:Alumni of Loughborough University
Category:Cricketers from Birmingham, West Midlands
Category:Warwickshire women cricketers
Category:Leicestershire women cricketers
Category:The Blaze women's cricketers
Category:London Spirit cricketers