At the age of 20, Kirstie Gordon was forced to make a career-defining choice: continue playing international cricket for Scotland, or take up a deal to play for Loughborough Lightning as a domestic player in the Kia Super League - and declare for England before doing so. She opted for the latter, and was forced to miss the 2018 T20 World Cup Qualifier as a result, but was named in the England squad for the tournament itself after leading the KSL wicket charts with 17 in 11 games, vindicating that decision.

She impressed throughout her first four games with her left-arm orthodox spin, taking eight wickets with a miserly economy rate, but was targeted by Ash Gardner in England's heavy defeat in the final. She had been backed ahead of Alex Hartley for the tournament, but soon slipped down the spin pecking order, behind Linsey Smith, Mady Villiers and Sarah Glenn, and after winning a Test cap in 2019, she did not make it off the bench in the next two years.

Gordon's experience prompted the ECB to change their regulations in women's domestic cricket, allowing Scottish players to appear as non-overseas players while continuing to play internationally for Scotland, but as a centrally-contracted England player, it was too late for her to benefit.

ESPNcricinfo staff