Weston Park's wonder girls will be cruising into the unchartered waters of the National Netball League Division 1 next season.

Fuelled by two successive promotions, they miraculously claimed their place among the English elite at the first time of asking by beating Aquila of Kent 50-42 in front of a 200-strong crowd at Fleming Park.

For a squad containing four teenagers and four more players under the age of 23, it is a remarkable achievement.

Jubilant coach Jan Crabtree, who also takes care of the England under-17 side, marvelled: "Megan Feltham is still only 16 and, at this standard, we will have the youngest team by quite a way."

With 22-year-old Vicki Hooper controlling the attacking end and producing some inch-perfect passes for the shooters, Weston Park raced 5-0 up before Aquila had settled.

They still led 13-9 by the end of the first quarter but Aquila moved up several gears in the second to leave the Weston defence floundering.

The Southampton girls maintained good scoring, however, thanks to centre-court interceptions from Sam Page and 19-year-old Kelly Oxlade and trailed by a single point, 25-24, at the half-time break.

Sonja Payne replaced Donna Langrish as goal shooter in the third quarter and netted several good attempts to tip the scales back Weston's way at 35-34 for a nail-biting finish.

The lead changed hands again but, with Feltham and Gemma Cornwall increasing the pressure of their defending, the higher fitness level of the Weston Park girls began to show and they scored from three consecutive turnovers to pull away to a glorious victory.

With a membership of at least 120 covering all age-groups, Weston Park are hoping they can continue rolling young players off the production belt to maintain their top-flight status.

Said Crabtree: "We'd like to continue bringing them through the ranks rather than go out and get others in, but it may be that players from a bigger catchment area will ring us up now wanting to join."

Although Weston Park have no set base, having to share their training between Toynbee School, Wildern School and Itchen College, they are remarkably successful in bringing young players through.

They are the South West champions in every age-group and will this weekend be fielding under-13, 14, 16 and 19 teams in the National Youth & Junior Championships at Redbridge, London.

Weston Park: Lorna Brown (captain), Sam Page, Gemma Steves, Shirley Eastwood, Kelly Oxlade, Megan Feltham, Vicki Hooper, Gemma Cornwall, Hayley Costick, Nickie Jordan, Donna Langrish, Sonja Payne.