Sophie Ecclestone

A slow left-arm spinner renowned for her accuracy and economy, Sophie Ecclestone became the world's No. 1-ranked T20I bowler - according to the ICC - at the age of just 20, on the back of three years of impressive performances in the format.

Ecclestone received her formative cricketing education at her local club - Alvanley Cricket Club - in Helsby, Cheshire, on the south banks of the River Mersey. Having played for Cheshire since 2013, she was spotted by Lancashire, signing for them in 2015 and making her top-level debut as a 16-year-old that year, against Nottinghamshire in Division 1 of the Women's County Championship.

In 2016 she impressed for the England academy in the tri-series with Sri Lanka A and Australia's Shooting Stars in Sri Lanka, taking 16 wickets on that tour, including a four-for versus Sri Lanka A in Panagoda.

She was subsequently called up by new coach Mark Robinson into the England squad to face Pakistan in the T20 series in July 2016; and made her England debut aged just 17 in the first game of the series, in a tidy performance that saw her finish with figures of 1 for 21 across her 4 overs.

She was overlooked at international level over the next 18 months, with Alex Hartley and Laura Marsh preferred to her, but secured her place in the side during the 2017-18 Ashes series in Australia, where she made her Test debut.

In 2018, she proved particularly hard to hit in the World T20 in the Caribbean, conceding just 5.38 runs per over as England reached the final following a stand-out season in the Kia Super League for Lancashire Thunder. In ODIs she was particularly parsimonious, rarely conceding more than four runs per over as teams began to play her out.

The following year, Ecclestone cemented her status as England's first-choice spinner during series against West Indies and Australia after impressing in the T20 Challenge in India and securing a central contract. She then starred at the T20 World Cup in Australia, taking eight wickets in four matches and conceding a miserly 3.23 runs per over.

ESPNcricinfo staff