Sophie Ecclestone inducted into 100% Cricket Superstar
The International Cricket Council has announced the first five players selected as 100% Cricket Superstars, who have been excellent of late.
The first picks of the 100% Cricket Superstars squad are Sophie Ecclestone (England), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Shafali Verma (India) and Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa).
Ecclestone's journey is nothing short of a fairytale, from a young teenager playing club cricket in Helsby, Cheshire, to becoming the No.1 bowler in both ODIs and T20Is.
The journey so far
After being spotted by Lancashire in 2015, Ecclestone played in a tri-series for the England Academy, with Sri Lanka 'A' and Australia's Shooting stars in Sri Lanka the following year. She took 16 wickets on that tour, the pick of the performances being her 4-wicket haul against the hosts.
At 17, she was selected for the T20I series against Pakistan and made her debut in the first match itself.
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The off-spinner was overlooked at the international level for the next few years, with senior players available. However, after her performances in the 2018 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and a standout season with Lancashire in the Kia Super League, she became the first-choice spinner for England.
Stats clearly suggest that she is not just a prolific wicket-taker but an economical bowler who can stifle any opposition.
Ecclestone propelled England to the final as the leading wicket-taker in this year's Women's ODI World Cup with 21 wickets from 9 matches. Even though they fell short at the final hurdle, her contribution was one to remember.
The 23-year-old will have one eye on the upcoming Commonwealth Games later this month. Her performances will be crucial for the English side as they lock horns with top teams in international cricket.
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