County pair earn England Academy call

GLOUCESTERSHIRE pair Danielle Gibson and Natasha Wraith will join up with the England Women’s Academy this winter.

Dumbleton CC all-rounder Gibson has been named in the full Academy squad while Frenchay CC wicketkeeper Wraith is part of a 12-strong training group.

The two squads will train together at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough throughout the close season.

Dean Close pupil Gibson, 17, came though the Gloucestershire age groups before joining Wales last season in order to play a higher level of county cricket.

A non-playing member of the Kia Super League winning Western Storm squad in 2017, she cemented a place in the team last year.

The right arm seamer recorded best figures of 2-34 against Surrey Stars at the Cheltenham Festival and is named in the Women’s Academy for the third successive year.

Wraith has been selected in an England Women’s training squad for the first time, having been part of the Western Storm regional development squads for the past two seasons.

The SGS College student is playing her senior county cricket for Somerset in 2019 but will still represent Gloucestershire Under-17s.

Both players have been part of both the Gloucestershire Cricket Board boys and girls Emerging Players Programmes and toured Sri Lanka in 2016.

They were both a key part of the Gloucestershire Women’s side that won promotion to ECB Division Two in 2017.

GCB women and girls development officer Lisa Pagett said: “We hope that seeing Dani and Nat training with the England Women’s Academy will inspire other Gloucestershire girls.

“It is a measure of how successful our pathway is that we now have a number of our girls playing a higher level of county cricket.”