Sometimes as a sportsperson it can be tough to get a break.
At other times — as in the case of Northern Disticts cricketer Kayley Knight — great news follows the good as the just desserts for hard work.
Pace bowler Kayley, 17, who made her first-class debut for theNorthern Spirit at Hallyburton Johnstone Shield level last November, has cracked the first-ever New Zealand under 19 women's squad.
She, along with her ND u19 captain Makayla Templeton and teammates Nensi Patel, Georgina Harris, will join ND's Lucy Boucher in the 18-player national squad coached by High Performance Sport New Zealand's Kari Carswell.
“Kayley's made a good start on the first-class circuit, has picked up some key wickets for the Spirit and is a young pace bowler with an exciting set of skills,” said former Scotland representative Carswell, who will mentor the side in three 40-over matches against the NZ Police in Christchurch from February 15 to 17 and in three 50-over games against a NZ Provincial 11 from March 29 to April 1 at Hamilton.
“We're really pleased with the squad selected. Playing these games will be a great learning experience for all involved and an incredibly important part of our pathway for female cricketers.”
Knight has made a good fist of things from the get-go. Her five first-class wickets to date include three White Ferns — Canterbury's Kate Ebrahim and Frankie Mackay and Auckland's Lauren Down.
