A WEOBLEY schoolteacher has seen her international cricket aspirations enhanced in an indoor international tournament in South Africa.

Marsha Davies represented Wales in the national team's first foray into international indoor competition.

"We played against Australia, who are the best team in the world, South Africa, who are second, and England, who are third, so there were no real expectations and it was quite a learning curve," said the 27-year-old.

But Wales performed creditably in restricting Australia to their lowest total of the eight-a-side competition and gave England a real scare before losing by just six runs.

Their prize has been an invitation to take part in the Indoor World Cup which is being staged in Bristol in October 2007.

"We have a year's training to prepare for the World Cup and now have England in our sights. New Zealand, Sri Lanka and India are all sides we could possibly beat," said Davies.

The all-rounder has been leading the girls' cricket coaching at Weobley High School for the last three years. The school's junior and senior sides both enjoyed successful seasons in 2006.

"We have several talented cricketers here," said Davies. "One of them, Sophie Stubbs, was in Year 7 last year and I shall be working with her on a one-to-one basis in our new sports hall, which will have cricket nets, to prepare her for the Herefordshire Girls side."

Davies' interest in cricket began when she practised the game's basic skills with her father in their back garden. This led to a first match for Crickhowell Primary School boys' team when she was nine.

At high school she played alongside current Glamorgan cricketers Mark Wallace and Michael Powell and was subsequently selected for England under-21.

Davies, a former Mid Wales Sports Personality of the Year, is represented the improving Wales side in the Senior European Championships in 2005 and her county side, Kent, won the Liverpool Victoria County Championship for the first time this season.

"After 13 years of playing county cricket it was nice to win the title at last," she said. "Wales are hoping for an invitation to the Senior European Championships again next summer when we would have the target of beating Holland, Scotland and Ireland."