Kingswinford's Hannah Baker heads off to Under 19 World Cup

The leg spinner, who turns 19 next month, was due to leave Heathrow on Tuesday with the rest of the England Women's squad after taking part in a intensive training camp at Loughborough.

And Hannah will be in good company with her fellow Central Sparks team-mate Davina Perrin from Wolverhampton also on the plane.

The two play with Sparks at Edgbaston where the best female players from the West Midlands region gather at the centre of excellence.

Both Baker and Perrin certainly come into the elite category – the former has turned out for Worcestershire and Warwickshire and competed in last year's Hundred competition for Welsh Fire.

Perrin made history in the same competition when at 15 she became the youngest player to compete - in her case for Birmingham Phoenix.

Hannah, who played junior cricket for Beacon CC – has deferred university in order to pursue her ambition of becoming a professional cricketer.

She has already played for England A against New Zealand and a Select Eleven against India but this will be her first taste of international tournament cricket.

England will play their first game of the tournament against Zimbabwe at Potchefstroom a week on Sunday and then face Pakistan and Rwanda

The tournament - which runs until August 29 - features 16 of the world's best teams from Australia to New Zealand and West Indies.

Hannah said: "It's going to be great to travel to South Africa and experience another culture, and cricket wise some top-class competition

"It will be great to test myself on different wickets as well - I haven't really played overseas before though have competed against some very good cricketers.

"If I was asked for a team to watch I would say India who have two full internationals in their ranks that have come down to under 19 level.

"I am just hoping I get the chance to show what I can do and it is great tournaments like this are springing up which gives young women a possible route into the professional game.

"Because of that professionalism the competition will be massive and it may count towards securing contracts for next season so we really have to be on our game."

Hannah's mum Lisa and her dad Richard will follow her out there to watch the first game.

Lisa said: "It is incredibly exciting for Hannah and a great opportunity for her - she is completely switched on and focussed on getting a career in cricket and this is a big step towards that.

"She has come a long way but if it wasn't for Beacon and Bear Cricket who provide the initial coaching and her equipment she wouldn't have got that start in the junior section and learned the skills that she will be using at international level."