In Her Sister’s Footsteps

Scotland’s Kirsty McColl does not have to look far for reassurance and inspiration at the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. McColl’s elder sister, Megan, is a fully-fledged member of the Scotland senior side. A dynamic all-rounder, she featured at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Growing up in the east coast town of Arbroath, both Megan and Kirsty cut their teeth in free Friday night cricket sessions at their local club.

“Being the younger one, I just wanted to do the same as Megan and be like her as much as I could,” the 19-year-old explains. “She’s always really motivated me to keep going and been my biggest supporter in my cricketing journey.”

Megan, 24, has faced her fair share of injury and selection setbacks, creating a deep well of experience that her younger sibling has taken every opportunity to draw from.

“She’s always there for me in my corner,” Kirsty explained. “She’s had to fight for her place and she’s taught me never to give up. As long as you try your hardest, your time will come.”

Kirsty combines her cricketing exploits with a degree in aerospace engineering from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.

The 2025 edition of the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup will be her second taste of the tournament after she appeared at the inaugural staging in South Africa.

McColl only had a few hours to prepare, however, having been drafted into squad as a late injury replacement for Molly Barbour-Smith.

“Having accepted the fact that I hadn’t been selected, I was getting ready to support the girls,” Kirsty recalls. “I was told I had to get on the plane the next day and it was pretty intense, being thrown in at the deep end.

“Everyone in the squad was so welcoming and we’re such a tight-knit group. The whole tournament was an eye-opener. Playing in those stadiums, the equipment, the facilities, was just something we’d never experienced before.

“It was just the first step in a lot of our careers.”

Finishing fourth in Group D, Scotland are targeting an improvement this time around with McColl one of five players who are returning to the global stage.

“We just want to go out and showcase our skills,” Kirsty says. “I think we’d really like to get out of the group but success isn’t just measured on that, it’s about how we play.

“We didn’t get out of the group last time and that would be the next step, I think we’re just getting better and better as time goes on.”