Simply put, Sophie Ecclestone is the best bowler in the women’s game. The 23-year-old England left-arm spinner is the number one-ranked bowler in both Twenty20 and one-day international cricket and has every chance of staying there for years to come.
Only five wickets in last year’s tournament was a disappointing return but was more to do with batters just aiming to survive rather than score runs.
That approach is no guarantee against Ecclestone though, with her combination of skill and accuracy, she is more than capable of running through opposition batting line-ups.
Keep out Ecclestone and the opposition will also have to face Lea Tahuhu, one of the quickest bowlers in the history of the women’s game.
The New Zealander, 31, is back from injury and, once she returns from the Commonwealth Games, should be ready to spearhead the Originals attack.
An intimidating bowler, Tahuhu will add real potency and has had success in England, with her match-winning five-wicket haul for the White Ferns in an ODI last summer the most recent example.