Surrey Cricket pays homage to Nat Sciver-Brunt by naming stadium gate after her at Oval

Nat Sciver-brunt received a special tribute from Surrey Cricket as a gate at the Kennington Oval in London has been named after her. It was a fantastic gesture as the star all-rounder has won several games for Surrey and England during her illustrious career.

The 31-year-old has scored 649 runs and taken 11 wickets in 10 Tests. In ODIs, she has scored 3,676 runs from 109 matches and bagged 76 wickets. Meanwhile, in the 121 T20Is, she has amassed 2,497 runs and taken 86 wickets.

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The Oval has a tradition of naming gates after triumphant captains. Sciver-Brunt joins the ranks of Stuart Surridge, Alec Stewart, and Ben Hollioake. She joined the Surrey pathway at the Under-14 level and debuted for the senior county team at 18. Scoring nearly 2,500 runs and picking up more than 50 wickets, Sciver-Brunt has been a vital cog for the county. In 2018, she led Surrey Stars to the Super League final, where they beat Loughborough Lightning.

The gate, situated at the Pavilion End near the Club shop, made its maiden appearance in the fourth T20I between England and New Zealand on Saturday, July 13. Ahead of the clash, Surrey made the official announcement of having a gate named after the Tokyo-born.

"Surrey has today named a gate in honour of Nat Sciver-Brunt, in recognition of her 2018 Kia Super League success as captain of the Surrey Stars," a release said.

Meanwhile, Sciver-Brunt expressed her delight after receiving the massive honour. She said she didn't imagine a gate would be named after her at the Oval when she was young.

"It is an absolute honour, I never thought I would see the name Sciver up there on a gate at the Oval! Having started at Surrey at 13 years old, I would absolutely pinch myself if I knew this would be happening," Sciver-Brunt was quoted as saying by Devdiscourse.

Meanwhile, Steve Elworthy, Chief Executive at Surrey Cricket, hailed Sciver-Brunt as a role model, not only for her performances for her county side but also for the Three Lions.

"Nat has had a truly outstanding career so far and we are all hugely proud of her achievements. She led the Surrey Stars with distinction and it's a pleasure to recognise Nat by naming a gate after her. She is an inspiring role model and has had a long lasting impact on not only Surrey cricket but also at an international level," Elworthy said.

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England went on to win the fourth T20I by seven wickets, successfully chasing a paltry target of 104 in just 11.3 overs. Sciver-Brunt bowled two overs for 11 runs before scoring an unbeaten 17 off 12 balls to take her side to victory. With this result, the hosts have a 4-0 lead in the five-match series and would look to complete a whitewash when they face New Zealand in the fifth game on Wednesday, July 17, at Lord's.