Sophie Ecclestone is the world’s No 1 bowler across the both women’s white-ball formats – but, ahead of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, what else do we know about the England spinner affectionally nicknamed ‘Eccy’?
In an exclusive interview as part of the Sky Sports Editions series, Ecclestone – a massive Everton fan – reveals it was former England defender and bluenose Phil Jagielka who provided her with her alter ego.
“At first I hated it, so everyone started calling me it because I hated it,” Ecclestone said.
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“Eccy is someone enjoys life, loves a bit of shopping, loves her shoes.”
And pink. ‘Eccy’ – as her Sky Sports Editions can attest to – loves the colour pink.
“If I walk out the hotel and I haven’t got pink on, the girls are always like ‘are you alright?’ she said.
“I’m not sure where it comes from. When I was younger I was such a tomboy – never get me a dress, I would never have my hair down, would never go near make up or anything like that – but I feel like I just grew up a little bit.”
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Ecclestone’s tomboy roots meant that she was far from fazed when the only girl playing junior cricket at her local club, Alvanley Cricket Club in Helsby, Cheshire.
Showing her prodigious potential from a young age, Ecclestone was then fast-tracked into the England set up as a teenager, making her international debut in 2016 when only 17.
“It happened very fast for me,” she admitted. “When I was 16, I used to play cricket to enjoy myself, for a bit of a laugh.”
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And, despite now operating at the elite level of the sport, that’s something the now 25-year-old has caried into her England career.
“I like to enjoy myself,” she said. “It’s best to get a balance. We work hard, so we play hard.
“When you’re in the limelight, there’s a lot of pressure situations, so the girls and I like to get out as much as we can.”
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Striking the right balance, Ecclestone is England’s all-time leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket, her 126 across her 86 caps coming at an average of just 14.65 apiece.
Earlier this year, Ecclestone also broke the record for the fastest woman to 100 ODI wickets, the left-arm spinner equalling Australian great Cathryn Fitzpatrick’s 64 matches to the mark but bettering her in terms of number of innings bowled (63).
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For all her dominance on the international stage, a trophy with England has so far eluded Eccy, with England’s 50-over World Cup in 2017 coming before she was fully embedded within the team.
Since, Ecclestone and England have been twice-beaten semi-finalists in the Women’s T20 World Cup and have also finished as runners-up in that tournament (2018) and in the 50-over format when defending their title (2022).
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“We’ve had a few losses in World Cup semi-finals [and finals], and I’ve given myself 24 hours to dwell on it, mope about and be sad about it,” she said.
“But cricket moves on so fast, you’ve got to move on.”
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The first chance to move on comes in the form of another tilt at the T20 World Cup title in the United Arab Emirates this month – with every match live on Sky Sports – and the ambitious Ecclestone is certainly conscious of the legacy she ultimately leaves in the game.
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“Playing cricket, I have one of the best jobs in the world – I get to travel and play my sport,” she said.
“I want to be remembered as someone who had fun, who enjoys it but who also ends up number one in the world when they finish.”
Eccy is well on her way.
Sky Sports Editions is a new social-first series that tells the must-know stories of elite sportswomen in a way that is unique to them, as they are given the chance to style and direct their very own cover shoot. Watch on the Sky Sports YouTube channel.
Watch every match of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports, starting with the tournament opener between Bangladesh and Scotland on Thursday October 3 in Sharjah and concluding with the final in Dubai on Sunday October 20. Also stream with NOW.
Source : Sky Sports
