Kate Cross

Pace bowler Kate Cross, who in 2006 became the first female cricketer accepted into the Lancashire Academy, waited so long to make her England debut that she considered giving up cricket altogether. Called up to the England squad during their 2011 tour of Australia, she had to wait over two years to step onto the pitch in an England shirt, in the West Indies in October 2013. But it was worth the wait: in her first spell of bowling in international cricket, she dismantled West Indies' top order, taking 4 for 51 and winning Player of the Match.

Her Test debut, at Perth in early 2014, was equally special: stepping up to take the new ball on the the third evening, her pace and accuracy saw her remove three of the Australian top order, leaving the Aussies reeling and playing a crucial part in England's victory. Cross finished with figures of 6 for 70 in the match.

The daughter of FA Cup-winning footballer David Cross, Kate played cricket for Heywood Cricket Club from the age of eight, and - since she was selected for the Lancashire Women's senior side aged just 13 - has long been considered an England prospect. She made headlines in April 2015 when she became the first woman to play in the Central Lancashire League for Heywood, taking 3 for 19 and following this up later in the season with a career-best 8 for 47.

In May 2014 Cross graduated from Leeds University onto one of the first full-time professional contracts for England. Despite having to compete with Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole for a spot in the side, she has experienced success in both the Test and ODI formats: she took a match haul of 6 for 71 in the 2014 Test against India, and claimed her first international five-wicket haul against New Zealand at Lincoln in February 2015. However, her strengths are seen to lie in the longer forms of the game, and she was left out of England's squad for the 2016 World T20.
Raf Nicholson