Phoebe Litchfield's been a star on the rise in cricketing circles, but not even she predicted how quickly she's throwing herself into the top levels of the sport.
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The 16-year-old Kinross product is one of four young guns who have picked in the NSW Breakers' squad for the 2019-20 season, potentially putting her in line to represent her state alongside Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healey as well as Ash Gardner and Rachael Haynes.
It stunned the teenager, who said her reaction to being told she'd won selection by Cricket NSW general manager of cricket performance David Moore was mostly one of shock.
"It was mostly a surprise, it was pretty crazy," Litchfield said being told three weeks ago - she's had to keep quiet on the news since then.
I just want to try to fit in to that group as much as I can, keep getting better, if I keep doing that the opportunities will keep coming my way.
- Kinross phenom Phoebe Litchfield
"I wasn't expecting it at all but it's a great honour. Maybe I thought I was in the frame, but I did not expect it."
While plenty of the details are up in the air about when training is and how much time Litchfield will spend in Sydney to be with the squad or even potentially for games.
"I don't know yet, it sort of depends how much time they need me, it'll be amazing to get a game but I don't think I will," she said.
"They train as a squad and I'll get down to as many of them as I can, I think there'll be plenty of weekend training as I don't think they want me missing too much school."
She incredibly excited to have the chance to rub shoulders with Healey, Haynes and Gardiner and soak up as much of their wisdom as she can, after initially floating the prospect of playing in Perth over summer to get an opportunity to train with a state squad but will now have the chance to do that at home.
Litchfield is one of four young guns who have made the 17-strong squad, with 15-year-old all-round prodigy Hayley Silver-Holmes, 16-year-old quick bowler Stella Cambell and 18-year-old wicketkeeper-bat Maddy Darke all named.
She said having those other girls take the plunge with her would help immensely.
They're all Australian Under 19 players, they've all performed well in Premier Cricket in NSW, and they're all very young and have they're whole career ahead of them.
- Cricket NSW general manager of cricket performance David Moore
"I've known them for ages, played with and against, it's nice to have those girls to relax with and rely on," Litchfield said.
She's not sure if she'll follow the path of Silver-Holmes in having the opportunity to play in the Women's Big Bash League, and while she certainly wouldn't turn it down she's not getting ahead of herself hoping for that or for games - her goals are simpler.
"It'd be amazing if I could [play WBBL], but I'm just taking one thing at a time," she said.
"I just want to try to fit in to that group as much as I can, keep getting better, if I keep doing that the opportunities will keep coming my way, but if it doesn't it doesn't matter."
Litchfield's first international experience with the under-19 tour of New Zealand in March has put her in good stead, despite the tour being cut short due to terror attacks in Christchurch.
"It was crazy, a bit scary but it's lucky we weren't there at the time," she said of being in Christchurch when the shooting unfolded.
"It was really well managed. It puts it in perspective, obviously it's disappointing to have the tour cut short but good we got out safely."
While she said it did put things into perspective, the one game she was able to play on the tour after being injured for the first game was great from a cricketing perspective.
"The tour was good while it lasted, the shooting obviously cut it short but it was amazing, that level of comp set me up and gave me an insight into what I need to become to score runs at the level," Litchfield said.
Cricket NSW's Moore said it was very exciting to be able to call upon the four youngsters to replace the likes of Ellyse Perry, Nicola Carey, Maisy Gibson and Belinda Vakarewa, who have moved interstate.
"They're all Australian Under 19 players, they've all performed well in Premier Cricket in NSW, and they're all very young and have they're whole career ahead of them," Moore said.
The state season begins later this year.
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