As far as international debuts go, Danielle Gibson’s first cap at Edgbaston in a record-breaking Ashes series is right up there.

 Gibson’s entrance to the international scene in front of a women’s T20 record crowd of 19,572 in Birmingham was a dive in the deep end.

 Almost one year on, the all-rounder has secured a central contract for her country as an established member of the dressing room and her rise to the top shows no sign of slowing down.

“I didn’t expect the crowd that we got, it was crazy”, admitted the 22-year-old. “The Ashes was such a good series, we took so much from it and played so well”.

Having been in the England squad from the initial Ashes test match, it seemed her first taste of representing her country was not a matter of if, but when.

 “I found out I was going to play the night before and I was excited.

 I just wanted to go out there and perform like I had been for my region, it was just a case of making sure you don’t change anything because you’re picked for a reason”.

 The 2023 Women’s Ashes series featured one Test match worth four points, three T20 internationals and three one-day internationals with two points awarded for each limited overs match victory.

 The contest ended in an 8-8 draw and despite England not regaining the Ashes, the consequent buzz both in the stadiums and out was just the last revolutionary stop on the women’s cricket train.

 Two wickets and some winning runs for Gibson in their T20 series win in which she featured in all three games further highlighted her credentials as a key member of the England squad.

 For many, the winter is a period of rest and recovery before the seemingly never-arriving main season but, for Gibson, the winter was a helter-skelter ride.

Her soaring form is now an incredibly sought-after prospect in the franchise cricket market.

 A title-winning 13-game stint for the Adelaide Strikers in the Women’s Big Bash League was swiftly followed by an appearance In England’s T20 series win in their tour of India.

Fast forward to 2024 and the all-rounder has kicked off another English summer with her region the Western Storm.

 Despite being only her fourth year as a contracted full professional at Storm, this will be Gibson’s last as a player and vice-captain of the region.

 The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have taken their plan with Project Darwin, an initiative to revitalise the counties in the game, one step further by naming the eight counties that will be considered “Tier 1” clubs in the 2025 season.

“I think it’ll be really good, but I know there’s a lot of question marks around it at the moment”, stated the Gloucestershire academy graduate who spent three years with the county.

With only eight being awarded Tier 1 status despite most applying, the result has been that many counties rich with cricket history and heritage will not host women’s county cricket for at least five years until 2029.

Gloucestershire was a county that had a positive impact on Gibson, providing her with the tools with which she has forged a successful career so far.

The county may not achieve Tier 1 status for several years, yet their former player hopes more counties will be included in the ever-evolving domestic scene.

“I hope they get a spot somewhere; I think the more counties that can achieve a higher tier, the better.

We just want more women and girls in the sport and for it to be a viable life option, being able to have cricket as a career has already changed so many people’s lives”.

Gibson whose Western Storm region will become a part of Somerset County Cricket Club added, “It will make women’s cricket and England so much stronger and will make the top spots in England more competitive”.

“We will as players get more support if it is just one sole county rather than everyone in the region sharing it, for us, Somerset can take full control and take us to the next level”.

The new county scheme in Women’s cricket is a tiered system which the ECB hopes will provide counties with considerably larger pools of players than they have historically had access to.

“The ECB just wanted to get it finalised, so players know where they’re going to be based next year”.

Gibson also stated, “My region (Western Storm) is so spread out which makes it quite difficult to relocate because we’re training all over the place”.

Changes in the domestic cricket landscape available to women have been a constant in the sport’s monumental surge from once being on the periphery of their male counterparts to now receiving well-deserved media attention and exposure.

However, this change, despite having been in the works for a while, will come as a culture shock for a lot many products of successful regional academies up and down the country.

Gibson possesses an aura of gratitude for the region of which she first walked through the door in 2017 and has since earned her stripes as she has risen through the ranks.

“The Western Storm gave me the opportunity when I was 16 to be in the team and I really owe it to head coach, Trevor Griffin and regional director, Lisa Pagett for backing me all the way, I think the Storm has been a special team”.

“When I joined the Storm were semi-professional in the Kia Super League (KSL) and now, we have nine or ten professional contracted players”.

“It’s come so far; we are a completely different side to what that KSL team looked like” reminisced the Storm Academy success.

In addition to the ECB opting to move on from the regional framework, The Hundred continues its mission to silence the critics.

 For women’s cricket, it is evident that The Hundred has had a hugely positive effect.

The increased spectatorship for the fast-paced format, more double-headers and the added glitz and glam from the draft process have rocked the women’s game.

 The London Spirit will be competing in the fourth rendition of the competition this July with Gibson having been there from the start.

Having been selected by the Lord’s based outfit with their fourth pick, the versatile cricketer is excited about heading back to the capital.

Gibson stated, “Being able to play at those grounds and experience the crowds we have; it’s going to keep progressing women’s cricket and it keeps that hunger burning”.

Even though she is now an experienced player of The Hundred, Danielle still gets excited by the build-up and pre-tournament excitement.

“The first welcome drinks, the camp meeting and getting to know all the overseas players”.

“The little meetings we have before a tournament about what we want to get from it and how we want to be as a team I think are what makes it a really exciting couple of weeks”, she claimed.

The relationship between the men’s and the women’s sides in the competition franchises is something that has contributed increasingly to bridging the gap between both sides of the game.

This closeness that we may next season see when women’s cricket moves back to the counties, has been created through frequent double headers which pack out stadiums for an action-packed day out.

Training sessions, travel to games and social outings between the men’s and women’s outfits are frequent during The Hundred window.

“The Hundred is seen as an equal playing ground for men and women and it sends a very important message.

We’ve been able to learn a lot from the men and they’ve been very open to talking about cricket”, claimed Gibson.

A WBBL win for the Adelaide Strikers in Gibson’s debut at the tournament was the dream start to a career in franchise cricket down under.

Such a successful debut was a credit to the cricketer’s ability to adapt to a new environment and gel with new teammates.

“I was quite nervous to go into a new team and meet new people”, recognised Gibson who contributed 115 runs and took 10 wickets in her first WBBL appearance.

 “The way that everyone welcomes you into a cricket team and that everyone is happy to have you makes it so much easier and a very good environment to be in and around as a newbie”.

 When reflecting on the impact of being surrounded by world-class players she stated, “I learned a lot during those six weeks and was able to establish who I wanted to be as a bowler”.

Danielle Gibson has had the opportunity to face some of the most rapid bowlers from around the world.

 From Ellyse Perry’s express pace to the shaping deliveries of Lauren Bell, she has had the opportunity to refine her game against the best.

 The scariest bowler she has faced in the nets, however, is a little bit closer to home…

 “Facing Lauren Filer’s bowling isn’t very fun” admitted Gibson with a wry smile.

 “We’re very close friends and she knows my game inside and out, she knows where to bowl, and it doesn’t always work out because she’s so quick!”.

 “It’s a good bit of competitiveness in the nets because you don’t want to get out to your best mate”.

 “There can be some bickering”, she laughed.

 In addition to the accolades, she has collected in her young career to date, Gibson has her sights set on further future goals.

 The lure of playing in India against the best players in the world in a contest with immense financial investment makes it an attractive option for women’s cricket stars.

 With some matches reaching attendances of over 30,000 cricket-mad spectators, it is no surprise that the WIPL appeals to many in the game.

 “I’d like to get to the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL), it would be such a great experience and a top level of cricket”.

 “If I can play in any T10 tournaments too that would be fun”, she admitted when considering what she still wants to achieve.

 Life as a cricketer plying their trade on different continents around the world can be demanding with heavy schedules meaning load management and rest time is vital for players to be in peak physical and mental condition.

 Gibson has had the opportunity to meet new people and explore new cultures which was highlighted by her recent tour of New Zealand with England.

 “We got to experience Hobbiton, went on little adventures and even went on a few team bike rides”.

  It is also the chance to put the bat back in one bag and take the clubs out of another.

 “We play a lot of golf”, stated Gibson who, alongside her teammates, has an innate need to maintain their sporting fix.

 When asked what the best fourball golf team from her England teammates she was quick to select her squad.

 “Obviously myself, but Sophie Ecclestone would also be in there, she’s a very good player”, she suggested while contemplating her picks.

 “I have to put the captain, Heather Knight in there and then I would go for Lauren Bell just for the laughs!”.

 It’s evident that Gibson thrives in the England camp and has developed massively both on and off the field following her extensive period with the national side.

Western Storm Head Coach, Trevor Griffin claimed “being around the England squad gave her an extra edge”, in an interview with BBC Sport.

 “It gave her that extra determination to step her game up and she’s just gone from strength to strength with the bat and ball”.

 “She’s always looking to attack, and I think England like that at the minute, whether that’s with bat and ball. She wants to take wickets and score runs quickly”, Griffin stated.

 Being immersed in settings with the best players in the world is becoming more regular as the number of central contracts being handed out by the ECB is increasing year on year.

 With the revival of the counties in the English domestic cricketing landscape and the introduction of different tiers, the competition for England selection will only get tougher.

 Gibson, who will be joining up with her Storm teammates for the opening rounds of the 2024 regional season, will be desperate to maintain her red-hot form.

 Good performances for Storm and in The Hundred could earn her further international franchise cricket opportunities following the summer.

 Alongside growth comes opportunity and with more leagues appearing on the women’s cricket global map with increasing regularity, the platforms for Gibson to continue her rise to global stardom are rife.

Images courtesy of Instagram @danielle_gibsonx