Hollie Armitage from Meltham has received a last-minute call-up to the England Women’s Academy tour of Sri Lanka.
The 16-year-old who is in her first year at Huddersfield New College – studying an Extended Diploma in Sports Science – has linked up with the squad in Colombo.
They will play Sri Lanka in four T20 internationals and two one-day internationals over the next two weeks and Hollie is naturally delighted to be involved.
“I’m extremely chuffed they even thought about me because this is the next level up for me,” said Hollie (inset), who began playing cricket at Meltham at the age of 10.
“To have the chance to play in Sri Lanka is a massive experience for me.”
Hollie – whose dad John played for Meltham – flew out to the island, just off the southern tip of India, last week and hopes to get the nod for today’s first T20.
She was put on standby as a batting reserve two weeks ago but got the nod to travel just a day before England headed out.
It’s a marvellous opportunity for the former Honley High student, who has played through all the age groups in the Sellers Huddersfield Junior League with Meltham and who has, for the last couple of seasons, been a part of the second XI at the Drakes League club.
She helped win the County Championship for Yorkshire Under 13s in 2010 and went onto the county coaching Pathways programme.
She then captained the Yorkshire Under 15s to the title in 2012, when she was scouted for England after scoring 123 not out in the semi-finals against Somerset and 66 not out in the final against Kent.
Hollie, who will be 17 in June, moved up into the Yorkshire Under 17s last year and scored 597 runs at an average of 54.27, making her the second-highest run-scorer in the country at that age group.
She also made here Yorkshire Women’s First XI debut last summer against Surrey at the Oval, making 25 and taking three for two with the ball.
Part of the Under 19 England Women’s Development Programme for the past two years, she has spent winter training weekends at the National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough University, where she has clearly been impressing the coaches.
