Ecclestone makes history as England wrap up series
Sophie Ecclestone sealed her place in history to become England’s leading wicket-taker in T20s, as England secured a 65-run win in the second T20 at Northampton to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with one match left to play.
Ecclestone, who has taken just 80 matches to overtake Katherine Sciver-Brunt’s record of 114 wickets, sealed the deal by taking Muneeba Ali caught-and-bowled in the sixth over, before wrapping up the innings with two wickets in the 16th as England bowled Pakistan out for just 79.
“I actually had no idea – I’m really bad with numbers,” Ecclestone said of the landmark, achieved at the age of just 25. “To overtake Katherine is a bit surreal – she’s someone I looked up to when I was young and I got her autograph a couple of times – but I’m really proud.”
Opting to bat first, England had reached 144 for six thanks to some lusty final-over blows from Danielle Gibson, who followed up Saturday’s unbeaten 41 by slamming 18 not out from nine balls, including a huge six over long-on – the first maximum of the international summer.
Nida Dar, who took over the Pakistan captaincy last month, had begun the 20th over celebrating the stumping of Amy Jones with even more zeal than usual. Unlike Ecclestone, she was well aware that she had just achieved a personal milestone – it was her 137th scalp in the format, and meant she overtook Australia’s Megan Schutt as the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20 internationals.
But despite the best efforts of Muneeba Ali and Aliya Riaz, who pummelled six boundaries between them, her team’s batting never quite got going. The whole effort was symbolised by a double-wicket 13th over at the hands of Alice Capsey’s very-part-time off-spin; Pakistan’s final five wickets fell for just eight runs.
Dar, who took over the Pakistan captaincy last month, had begun the 20th over by celebrating her own personal milestone – it was her 137th scalp in the format, and saw her overtake Australia’s Megan Schutt to become the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20 internationals. But her side’s batting never quite got going.
Lauren Bell picked up two wickets in the third over, and by the time Alice Capsey’s part-time off-spin was given an outing in the 13th, the end was nigh. Capsey ended up with two wickets, while Pakistan’s last five batters fell for eight runs.
Earlier, Nat Sciver-Brunt had celebrated her return to the England side with a quickfire 31. She has revealed that her absence from Saturday’s match was the result of recently having her eggs frozen, in the hopes of starting a family with her wife and former England, Katherine, after retirement.
Maia Bouchier and Capsey chipped in with a 49-run partnership for the second wicket. In an encapsulation of the famine and feast which is coach Lewis’s Jonball, Capsey edged Waheeda Akhtar just past Muneeba Ali behind the stumps, then mistimed a shaky pull shot, but proceeded to slam 20 runs off the over.
England’s innings then stalled after the drinks break, after Bouchier was run out by Diana Baig, who pulled off a great diving stop at extra cover, while nine balls later Capsey lost her head yet again, trying to go big to Dar and edging behind the stumps.
The hosts’ promising start could easily have fizzled out: instead, Gibson ensured England snatched the momentum, and the series.
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That’s it from me. I’ll sign off with that. Thanks for hanging with me. Keep an eye out for Raf Nicholson’s report. G’night!
