Aussies change of tack against England's 'biggest threat'

She may be the world's best bowler, but she's in the sights of the world's best team in white-ball cricket.

While Australia's 10-match undefeated run against England came to an end on Wednesday night at The Oval, the visitors' batters again went after Sophie Ecclestone, taking her four overs for 35 runs, most of which were hit during Ellyse Perry's late cameo where she smashed the left-armer for back-to-back fours in the 17th over and back-to-back sixes in the 20th.

After a sensational 10-wicket haul in the Test match at Trent Bridge at an economy rate of less than 2.5 across 77 miserly overs, Ecclestone has conceded 7.53 runs per over in the two T20 internationals since – significantly higher than her career T20 mark of 5.81.

It's a trend that was born out of the 24-year-old's stranglehold over Australia in the last Ashes tour in January 2022 where she took just four wickets but conceded just 3.26 runs per over in the series' five completed matches.

The final three one-day internationals of that tour were where she was at her most impressive, and while she only picked up two wickets, she conceded just 2.47 runs per over across her full allotment of 30 overs – her best ever economy rate in a bilateral series between the two nations.

Ecclestone – the world's top-ranked bowler in both the 50-over and T20 formats – gave up just six boundaries in those three matches but her exceptional showing came in vain as Australia won all three to retain the Ashes 12-4 in the multi-format points-based series.

Her success prompted a drastic change in tack a month later at the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand as the Australians went after the England spinner in both the group stage and the final, with Ecclestone on the receiving end of Alyssa Healy's brutal 138-ball 170 that lifted Australia to the title, conceding 77 and 71 from her 10 overs in both matches.

That economy rate of 7.4 against Australia in the World Cup was the third highest for any white-ball series or tournament in her career against her Ashes rivals, with only the ongoing T20I series as part of the 2023 Ashes and three tri-series matches in India in 2018 costing her more runs per over.

"It's been really interesting," said Ecclestone when asked about the Australians recent tactics against her.

Image Id: 7EF1BEBD26514BAD9B6B65DA3A115B65 Image Caption: Ecclestone celebrates the wicket of Ashleigh Gardner at The Oval on Wednesday // Getty

"A couple of Ashes ago they just didn't go against me and just looked to block me out.

"But they've definitely taken more of an attacking approach at me and just going at me, so I think it's exciting for me.

"I feel more in the game when they come at me and not just block me out."

Australia allrounder Ashleigh Gardner – who herself took a record 12 wickets in the Test match last month – said they hadn't tried to over attack Ecclestone but were confident "to play high percentage shots" against her.

"We know the class bowler that she is and especially in T20 cricket she can be quite damaging, and she can win games for England," Gardner said this week.

"We need to be pretty clinical against her and we know the threat that she poses but I think it's just making smart decisions at the right time against a bowler like her.

"We know that she's going to be probably our biggest threat from their bowlers, she's not number one for no reason.

"We know that she thrives off taking wickets, so I guess as a team it's about hopefully limiting her wicket-taking opportunities.

"I don't think we need to over attack any bowler within their line-up.

"They're obviously a world class bowling unit so we know that if we play the right shots and pick the right times to go after her that we're going to be on the better end of it."

And while Ecclestone doesn't expect the tourists to change their approach any time soon, she's not going to alter hers either.

"I'll just look to keep things simple and bowl my best ball, and I'm backing my best every day of the week to get them out," she said.

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Australia lead the multi-format series 6-2

Test: Australia won by 89 runs

First T20I: Australia won by four wickets

Second T20I: England won by three runs

Third T20I: July 8 at Lord’s, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 9 AEST)

First ODI: July 12 at The County Ground, Bristol, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, 11am (7pm AEST)

Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

England T20 squad: Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver-Brunt (vc), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Issy Wong, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danielle Wyatt