What odds on Warsash teenager Kirsty White becoming the next Hampshire cricketer to play for England?

At just 15 years of age and still to take her GCSE examinations at Cams Hill School, Fareham, Kirsty has been selected for the England Women's Development Squad.

And she's broken into a male bastion by becoming the first girl cricketer to be selected for the Hampshire Academy at the Rose Bowl.

"Kirsty has always shown huge potential to excel within the game, but it is due to her hard work and commitment to practice and performing that has warranted her selection," said Hampshire cricket development manager Neil Rider, who is one of the England Women's Regional coaches.

"I'm positive that, with the support and further coaching she will now receive, Kirsty has the potential to become one of a few Hampshire cricketers that go on to represent their country."

A batsman-wicketkeeper, who regularly plays in Locks Heath's Hampshire League men's teams, Kirsty got the cricket bug through her elder brother Robert as a six-year-old.

"I just used to go along to matches and practices with Robert and join in. It was as simple as that," explained Kirsty, who was a highly promising swimmer until she took up cricket.

"I've been playing competitively in the South East Hants Colts League since I was 11 years old and have gone on to play women's cricket for Hampshire at both junior and senior level."

Kirsty, who plans to cram in 12 GCSEs alongside next summer's cricket schedule, certainly came to the fore in August, scoring 464 runs in a week-long under-15 girls inter-county festival at Lord Wandsworth College, Odiham.

"I scored 190 in one game against Sussex, which came smack bang in the middle of that heatwave," she recalled.

The cricket season may have ended a month or so ago, but there's no chance of Kirsty hanging up her bat and gloves for the winter.

She's captain, opening batsman and wicketkeeper of the Locks Heath team, which plays against a host of Southern Premier League junior sides in the NatWest Under-16 Indoor League at the Rose Bowl.

Not surprisingly, she's already highly thought of at Lord's, where ECB women's executive director Gill McConway produced a glowing reference.

"Kirsty has risen to stardom in just 12 months, having been selected for the South West Regional winter squad training in September 2002," she said.

"Her true potential came out while working with Neil Rider (Hampshire Cricket development manager) last winter.

"Now, after a session which impressed coaches, she has made three big achievements - selection into the England Development Squad, being picked for next summer's Super 4s competition, which involves the best 48 players in the country, and being chosen for the Hamphire Academy.

Kirsty will begin training with the Hampshire Academy later in the year but, more immediately, has a half-term date with the full England Development Squad at Trent Bridge.

"It's obviously very exciting and I can't wait to go to Nottingham in a week or so's time," she beamed.

"I'm the youngest girl there, but that won't worry me. I just want to do well."