GLOUCESTERSHIRE cricketer Dani Gibson has been named in the England squad for the Women’s Ashes which get underway next week.

The 22-year-old all-rounder made her Gloucestershire debut in 2014 and is vice-captain of the regional Western Storm, for whom she is joint highest run scorer this summer as well as the leading wicket-taker in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

This is Gibson's first England senior call-up after being a travelling reserve for the T20 World Cup earlier this year. She progressed all the way from the county under-13s girl's team and will now earn her first cap.

And her selection will have caused a particularly loud cheer from the Gloucestershire Girls Under-11s squad ... whom she coaches!

Laura Charles Price, the head of women’s and girl's cricket at the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation, said: "This is absolutely fantastic news and we’re all so pleased for Dani who has worked incredibly hard over such a long period of time to make her England dream come true.

"Dani is the first player to have come all the way through our pathway to the England squad, and we are certain that she will not be the last.

"It’s fantastic for the girls in her under-11 squad – they can all say ‘our coach plays for England!’ – and will inspire everyone involved with women’s and girls cricket in the county.”

Gibson, who attended Dean Close School in Cheltenham and Hartpury College, began her club career aged nine with Dumbleton who formed their first under-13 girls team in 2014.

A powerful striker of the ball, she is also an accurate bowler with the ability to take wickets at important times.

England head coach Jon Lewis said: “Dani is one of the form cricketers in the country, she is improving both with bat and ball and if selected in the team, offers us a dynamic cricketer who can change the momentum of the game."

The England Test squad will play Australia A in a three-day warm-up fixture at the Incora County Ground, Derbyshire, starting on Thursday and then kick off their Ashes summer with a five-day Test at Trent Bridge, (June 22-26).

The multi-format series will consist of one Test (worth four points), three ODIs and three IT20s (each worth two points) and the Test will be England Women’s first over five days on home soil.