“Guarding England’s Exceptional Bowler Sophie Ecclestone for The Ashes 2023”

Sophie Ecclestone: The Once-in-a-Generation Bowler

If you’re a cricket fan, then you know the feeling of magic when Sophie Ecclestone gets to work on the pitch. Her sunglasses on, she takes two steps and does a twirl of her arms followed by the whip of her long ponytail before delivering an exemplary wicket celebration that almost feels inevitable. With each game, she has cemented herself as one of the best bowlers in women’s cricket.

During Australia’s first innings in the one-off Ashes Test match at Trent Bridge, Sophie Ecclestone took 5-129 from an unbelievable 46.2 overs – a figure that would be considered impressive even in men’s cricket circles given how little multi-day cricket women play. She is Heather Knight’s go-to player and feared by batters who don’t want to face her.

The Expectations That Come with Greatness

Greatness comes with expectations; there is no doubt about it. Former England bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt believes Sophie Ecclestone is a once-in-a-generation bowler and will eventually become England’s greatest spinner of all time – high praise indeed!

“But what comes with being the best also equals being high in demand,” says Sciver-Brunt. “England must not lean on her too much for the rest of this series or future games.”

Ecclestone bowled 37.2% (the average is 26%) of England’s overs during Australia’s innings where they scored an overwhelming total score of 473 runs! Despite Annabel Sutherland scoring a Test century for Australia, Tammy Beaumont was unbeaten on 100 at close so there’s still hope for England.

Bowling Her Way into the Record Books

The amount of overs Sophie Ecclestone bowled in that first innings is a testament to her importance to England and Heather Knight. She’s not only economical with her bowling but also takes wickets, making it easy for fans to love watching her bowl. But there are concerns about how much she’s being used.

Both Alex Hartley and Sciver-Brunt acknowledge Ecclestone’s competitive spirit, hunger for wickets, and know that at such a young age (24), she may not be aware when to stop. The last thing anyone wants is for an injury or overuse of this talented player.

A Different Bowler from When She Was Bowled Into the Ground Against India

Ecclestone struggled with shoulder soreness after bowling 64 overs during the Test match against India at Bristol in 2021. However, now she seems fitter, stronger and has played more cricket so maybe she can handle all these overs? We will find out soon enough!