With the news that Kirstie Gordon, Sophia Dunkley and Linsey Smith have been named in England's Women's World T20 squad, here are a few things you might not know about these three new players.
What's their playing role?
Like their England team-mate Sophie Ecclestone, Gordon and Smith are both left-arm spinners while right-hander Dunkley is recognised for her batting prowess.
Smith bowls a tight line and may well be thrown the ball in the powerplay, while Gordon is a more aggressive spinner who’ll look to make inroads in the middle overs.
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KirstieGordon
- Follow on:
- Age: 27
- Domestic Team: Loughborough Lightning
- Bowling Style:
Dunkley will also bowl some useful leggies but her main skill is with the bat – able to play all around the park, she’s particularly adept at using the pace on the ball and scoring behind the wicket.
Where will I have seen them play before?
All three were involved in successful 2018 Kia Super League (KSL) campaigns with Gordon and Smith's Loughborough Lightning topping the table at the end of the group games to book a guaranteed spot in the competition decider.
In that finale, they came up against a Surrey Stars outfit firing on all cylinders after finishing third in the regular season before dispatching 2017 champions Western Storm in the semi-final.
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LinseySmith
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- Age: 29
- Domestic Team: Loughborough Lightning
- Bowling Style:
Dunkley was a regular fixture in that side skippered by England all-rounder Nat Sciver, hitting the winning runs to send them to Finals Day.
The trio have also notched up strong displays in the county game this summer – Gordon for Nottinghamshire, Smith with Sussex and Dunkley for Middlesex.
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SophiaDunkley
- AKA: Dunks
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- Age: 26
- Domestic Team: Surrey Stars, South East Stars, Southern Brave
- Bowling Style: Right-arm
- Fun Fact:
- Dunkley was the first black female cricketer to score a century for England
What can I expect from them on the field?
If the three of them can replicate their form from the Kia Super League then expect fireworks!
That said there is of course a step up between the KSL and the international game so it will be fascinating to see how they cope.
All three have generally been unfazed at the big moments in their career (see below for Gordon clean-bowling her new skipper Knight during the KSL!) and they’ll be desperate to seize this opportunity.