FOUR Clan Netball players will make their England debuts in South Africa in September after being talent-spotted playing for their club back in January.
Kate Bannister, Katy Hills, Anna Carter-Roberts and Francesca Wells were all spotted by an England scout during a regular season match against Guernsey and after impressing at the subsequent trials were all named in the squad.
Bannister said: “An England Indoor scout came up to us after the game and asked if we’d like to come for a trial.
“We didn’t even know she was there until after the game when she came over with our coach.
“I can’t remember the score of the game, but I know we won.”
The foursome then joined about 40 of the best netball players from around England for two days of trials at Canary Wharf.
Bannister said: “They told us who had made it on the day. We were all sitting there afterwards when they read out the list of the girls who’d been selected.
“It was very nerve-wracking, we were all sitting there thinking, ‘oh god’.
“But I was quite early on because it was alphabetical and I’m a Bannister.”
Wells had a longer wait, but it was good news for all four of the Bucks players – although Hills has since had to withdraw from the squad for the Indoor Netball Tri Nations.
Oddly, none of the girls have ever played a competitive indoor netball match before – their first taste of that form of the game will be on their international debuts.
Bannister said: “The rules are the same, but it’s indoors and there are nets that you can bounce the ball off, so it’s a lot faster than outdoor netball.”
Training sessions will take place virtually every weekend between now and September to hone the 12-strong squad, before England fly south to take on hosts South Africa, New Zealand and Australia over two weeks.
Bannister said: “It’s brilliant. None of us have played for Engalnd before and this has come pretty much out of the blue.”
Bannister and the Carter-Roberts sisters all attend Beaconsfield High.
Francesca Wells from Chalfont Community College is also in the squad.
