Sophie Ecclestone has admitted she considered quitting cricket in the aftermath of the public spat involving Alex Hartley and the Ashes whitewash.
In January, before the first T20 of the Women’s Ashes, Ecclestone refused to be interviewed by her former team-mate Hartley, who later said on air she had been “hung out to dry” by players who would not speak to her.
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In the wake of England’s dismal T20 World Cup exit in October, Hartley said some members of the side were not up to the required fitness standards, and stood by her claims as the side performed badly throughout the 16-0 defeat Down Under.
“It was a weird time,” Ecclestone told Sky Sports, speaking about the incident for the first time before taking the field for the final ODI of the series against India at Durham.
“I felt like I was taking my warm-up more seriously than doing interviews for a game. I feel like that went down [the] wrong way and a few things were said. I was just concentrating on cricket at that moment but a lot of things were being said which wasn’t ideal.”
Ecclestone disputed the claim that she refused to do the interview, saying: “The word ‘refuse’ was being thrown around which wasn’t really true.”
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However, Telegraph Sport understands Ecclestone did refuse the interview with Hartley and that no other players rebuffed such requests.
Clare Connor, managing director of England Women’s cricket, called it an “unfortunate incident that won’t happen again” during her press conference the morning after the series.
When new head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt then took over from sacked coach Jon Lewis and captain Heather Knight, Ecclestone took a break from cricket before the white-ball series against India to prioritise her mental health.
“During the West Indies series, I wasn’t actually sure if I was going to come back and play cricket,” she said. “It was a tough time. [I] feel like I have come out of the other side now, back playing cricket with the girls. I [have] got a smile on my face again and I feel like I wouldn’t have done it without the girls.
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“It wasn’t very nice but we are all over that now. There were a lot of feelings involved and [it’s time] to move on,” she explained.
After the Ashes whitewash, Ecclestone went to the Women’s Premier League where she suffered a torn meniscus, and was left out of the white-ball series against West Indies. Ecclestone returned to the national side for the India series, coming straight back into the starting XI and playing every match of the series, including taking three for 27 at Lord’s.
Charlotte Edwards did not realise Ecclestone had considered calling time on her career, saying: “I knew, she obviously had a hard time after the winter, which she obviously shared today. But no, I certainly didn’t realise she was close to retiring or having a break.”
England slump to ‘lazy’ series defeat
England lost the one-day international series to India – Reuters/Ed Sykes
England slipped to their first one-day international series defeat at home for three years and were then accused of being “lazy”.
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Going into the final game at Durham, the score was level at 1-1 after England had won the second rain-affected match at Lord’s, but it was India who claimed a narrow 13-run victory. In truth, the margin flatters the hosts and this series – less than 10 weeks before a World Cup – raises more questions than answers for head coach Charlotte Edwards.
Former England fast bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt did not hold back in her criticism of the team’s performance, saying on the BBC’s coverage: “It’s hard for me to understand some people sometimes and their attitudes because to me it looks lazy and like they don’t care.”
Nat Sciver-Brunt played a captain’s innings, scoring 98 from 105 deliveries in the run chase of 319 following a slow start, but when she was caught behind any chance of an England win went with her.
Once India had put on 318, and Harmanpreet Kaur 102 from just 84, it seemed inevitable that they would clinch the series victory at Chester-le-Street. Sciver-Brunt and Emma Lamb had a stilted start to the innings, not accelerating until after the powerplay, but their partnership gave England hope.
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However, once Sciver-Brunt was out, the wickets began to tumble and England finished short of their target, albeit after a spirited 44 from 34 for Alice Davidson-Richards.
Alice Davidson-Richards scored a quick-fire 44 off 34 balls – Reuters/Ed Sykes
England’s fielding, which has been a problem throughout the summer, was again untidy. Although there was only one drop, by Lauren Filer off Harmanpreet once she had already made 102, there were numerous mis-fields. Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley and Lamb were all guilty on that front, and on occasion players dived over the ball rather than towards it.
“Some people maybe seem surprised that the ball is coming to them,” Nat Sciver-Brunt said on BBC’s Test Match Special. “But in training we are absolutely flying around and obviously when you know you need to perform the skill under pressure, it becomes more difficult. We will continue to work on it.”
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For most of the T20 and 50-over series against India, England have been outplayed. Where they comfortably beat the West Indies because of their experience, they came unstuck against India.
Their struggles against spin became more pronounced, the fielding errors persisted and without Heather Knight because of injury, the reliance on Sciver-Brunt was paramount. But the public perception has also shifted. In the end it was the captain’s wife Katherine Sciver-Brunt asking the crucial question: “Do we protect our girls too much?”
England only had six one-day internationals after the end of the Ashes for the new regime to bed in. The claims have been that it is a “team in transition”, but there is not long for that transition to take effect, with a World Cup in India taking place in September and October.
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