Ireland’s Kim Garth and Gabby Lewis, plus Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce, have been selected for this year’s WBBL Associate Rookie Program, which gives players from the “minor” nations the sponsored opportunity to be part of a professional cricket setup for a couple of weeks during the competition – benefiting from the same coaching and facilities as the “full time” players on the team.

Irish bowling all-rounder Garth was part of last year’s program – spending a month in Hobart under the wing of Hurricane’s coach Julia Price, and was full of praise for the scheme when she spoke to us last summer:

“[Hobart] was pretty intense – it was training four or five times a week plus gym work [and] I got a good opportunity to work quite closely with Julia Price, who is a brilliant coach, so I did a lot of one-on-one with her on my [batting] technique.”

Garth is headed to the Sydney Sixers this year; whilst her colleague – batting all-rounder Gabby Lewis – is off to Hobart.

Meanwhile Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce – an opening batsman, who has also opened the bowling on occasion – is set to be a Melbourne Star, alongside Meg Lanning!

The three join players from China, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea on the program.