Durham County Cricket Club’s Northern Jets player Helen Fenby was named in England Women’s Academy squad for their trip to South Africa.
Fenby, who has been involved with Durham CCC’s Women’s Academy since its launch last season, is part of a group of fourteen players that will play a tri-series against Australia and South Africa this month.
Fenby is an all-rounder for Durham but is selected for England Academy in a role of a leg spin bowler and she is hoping to get plenty of chances to develop her bowling action, as each side face each other three times before the best two play the final on Saturday 28th April.
The Durham Academy regular received the call after impressing for the Northern Jets in 2017 and then getting invited to attend training sessions at Loughborough this winter.
She said: “It (the invite for the trip) was a big surprise and I was really shocked about what was going on, to be honest.”
England Academy is a step forward in Fenby’s career. She said: “It’s fantastic because it’s what I’m really working towards with my cricket.
“I’ve been playing cricket for about eight to nine years now and definitely over the past three or four years this was what I’m working towards – trying to get up to the next level and the Academy is a stepping stone on this journey that I’ve got going on with cricket.”
Fenby has been involved in Durham’s Pathway programme, run and administered by Durham County Cricket Board, through all age levels. She got selected to represent the county at the youngest age group of under-11 and has been part of the pathway ever since.
The 18-year-old was last year picked to be part of the debut season for Durham County Cricket Club’s Northern Jets Academy.
Head Coach James Lowe said: “It’s a new set-up and we’re pleased with how quickly one of our players has managed to get onto a national programme and hope there will be lots more to follow her footsteps.
“Helen is a good example to the rest of the girls. She works really hard on all of her game – batting, bowling, fielding as well as fitness.
“She’s proved in her time with the Academy that she’s very dedicated to the game and she truly deserves the opportunity she’s been given. We have been impressed with her work ethic and I’m confident she’ll show that on the tour.”
Lowe added: “The extra support that the Durham Women’s Academy has given Helen over the past 12 to 18 months has helped her a lot in her development and contributed to her England selection.
“The more regular training with like-minded people, added competition and extra support in nutrition and S&C have definitely helped her kick on that next step.
“We hope that, given the effort and resource the club are putting in to support the region’s most talented girls, we’ll see more girls follow her example. We hope that Helen can be the first to provide the inspiration to the rest of the girls.”