Six years ago, two girls were given their first taste of cricket by Chance to Shine coaches from Frenchay Cricket Club programme. The girls' love for the sport has only grown and they were recently part of the Gloucestershire U17 team who flew out to tour Sri Lanka.

Georgie Hunt from Frenchay C of E Primary and Molly Bliss from Bromley Heath Junior, were both nine when they picked up a bat and ball. The girls progressed through the Frenchay and Gloucestershire County Age Group Squads, and now aged 15, they have also played Senior cricket for Frenchay.

The girls earned themselves the opportunity to fly over 5000 miles to play cricket in Sri Lanka as part of the Gloucestershire U17 Girls Tour.

Georgie (left) and Molly, having just played at the Pallekele International Stadium, a venue that has hosted six Test Matches, in Kandy.

Jim Donaldson, Chance to Shine and Frenchay CC coach, who gave Georgie her first taste of the sport said: "It's fabulous, a once in a lifetime experience for our two Chance to Shine Girls who have both worked really hard on their cricketing development since joining Frenchay. It's just fantastic that the seeds sown through the Chance to Shine programme six years ago could lead to such a wonderful and fully deserved opportunity."

You can read a blog about one the U17s matches written by Georgie here.

Since 2005 Chance to Shine has reached more than 3,500,000 in more than 14,000 state schools across the country, 46% of whom are female. To support this work and help to spread the power of cricket through schools and communities across the UK click here.