Although she played youth cricket for Somerset, appearing in both the Under-15 and Under-17 Women's County Championships, Shrubsole made her first-team debut for the county at the age of 12.[11] Facing Berkshire in the Women's County Championship, Shrubsole claimed two wickets in her six overs after opening the bowling alongside Steph Davies, helping Somerset to a four-wicket victory.[12] She scored her first runs in women's List A cricket in the following match, remaining ten not out against Staffordshire.[13] Though she only played three of Somerset's five fixtures in the 2004 competition, Shrubsole finished with the county's second-best bowling average, her five wickets in the competition coming at an average of 11.20.[14]
In 2005 Shrubsole made her first appearance in the Super Fours – a competition in which the England selectors place the 48 leading players into four teams – playing one Twenty20 for the Braves. Shrubsole remained 16 not out at the close of the Braves innings, and claimed two wickets in the following innings as the V Team won by four wickets.[15] Her performances in the County Championship brought her fewer wickets than in the previous season, the young bowler claiming two in the competition.[16] In contrast, she improved significantly on her highest batting total, posting a score of 41 not out during a big victory over Surrey in July.[17] The following season saw Shrubsole begin the season playing as a specialist batter. She did not bowl until her sixth match[note 1] of the season. She continued to bowl infrequently through the season and, despite playing all six County Championship matches for Somerset, only bowled 131 balls, 133 fewer than fellow medium-pace bowler Hannah Lloyd.[18] Her batting during the season saw her finish as Somerset's second-highest run-scorer with 127 runs.[19] Her performances in the Super Fours were less impressive: in three 50-over and two 20-over contests, she scored seven runs and did not claim a wicket.[20][21][22][23] After the close of the English women's domestic season, Shrubsole appeared for the MCC's women's side against the touring Indians in a Twenty20.[24]
Shrubsole's first match of the 2007 season brought her best career bowling return in women's List A cricket. With Somerset defending 206, she opened the bowling for her county, claiming seven wickets – including those of Surrey's top six batters.[28] After her strong start to the season, Shrubsole only managed one more wicket in the Championship, in Somerset's second match, against Berkshire.[29] Her eight wickets were still enough for her to finish second among Somerset wicket-takers in 2007.[30] The Rubies won all six matches in the Super Fours, during which Shrubsole claimed two wickets, though her bowling was expensive: her Economy of 4.21 was the worst on the team.[31] Despite this, Shrubsole opened the bowling for an ECB Women's Invitation XI in a Twenty20 match against England.[32]
Shrubsole played two matches for the England Development Squad against the touring South Africans in early August 2007, claiming a wicket in each match to help the English side win them both.[33][34] She then travelled with the Development Squad to compete in the 2007 Women's European Championship, playing all three of England's matches as they remained undefeated to win the tournament.[11][35]
Shrubsole made her ODI debut against South Africa on 14 August 2008. Opening the bowling, she took the wicket of Marcia Letsoalo as England recorded a comfortable victory.[36] Nine days later, Shrubsole took three wickets on her Twenty20 International debut against South Africa, and was subsequently named player of the match.[37]
She won the Most Promising Young Women's Cricketer Award at the end of the 2008 season,[38] and was called up to England's squad for the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup.[39] She took a career-best 5 for 11 in the first T20 international against New Zealand in February 2012.[40]
She is the holder of one of the first tranche of 18 ECB central contracts for women players, which were announced in April 2014.[41]
Shrubsole was a member of the winning women's team at the 2017 World Cup held in England, and was voted player of the game in the final at Lord's with a match-winning 6/46.[42][43][44] These are also the best bowling figures in a Women's Cricket World Cup final.[45] Her contribution to England's success was recognised by the award of an MBE in the Queen's 2018 New Year Honours list.[46] In April 2018 she was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for her part in the 2017 World Cup victory.[47]
On 18 June 2020, Shrubsole was named in a squad of 24 players to begin training ahead of international women's fixtures starting in England following the COVID-19 pandemic.[56][57]
In November 2020, Shrubsole was nominated for the ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Decade award.[58][59] In June 2021, Shrubsole was named as in England's Test squad for their one-off match against India.[60][61] In December 2021, Shrubsole was named in England's squad for their tour to Australia to contest the Women's Ashes.[62] In February 2022, she was named in England's team for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.[63] A month after the conclusion of the World Cup, Shrubsole announced her retirement from international cricket.[64]
Personal life
Shrubsole's nickname is "Hoof". After England's World Cup semi-final victory against South Africa in 2017, her teammate Jenny Gunn explained to ESPNcricinfo that "We call her 'Hoof' because she sometimes walks like a show pony with her feet ..."[65]
.jpg)
