DAISY Mullan has been identified as one of the top teenage female cricketers in the country, despite being five years younger than many of her peers.

The precocious Bolton talent has been selected for the Lancashire Thunder Development Centre, which is reserved for the elite 15 girls from Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumbria and Staffordshire.

Along with another Bolton girl, 18-year-old Shachi Pai, Daisy joins the squad of players between the ages of 14 and 19 who will receive special coaching and support.

Shachi, who plays for Astley Bridge in the Bolton League, has been one of the county's leading female players for several years, having played for England Under-15s, and Lancashire at every age group from under-15s to senior level, and helped Lancashire Women win the ECB Women's County Championship Division Two title and promotion back to the top flight last season.

Only the cream of the crop are called up for the Thunder development centre, one of six aligned to the teams who make up the Kia Super League Twenty20 competition which had its first season this year.

The squad will not play competitive matches but will work on their game with Thunder and specialist coaches, receive strength and conditioning programmes and learn about injuries, nutrition, psychology.

The selection of Turton High School pupil Daisy, who will be 14 next month, marks a major milestone in her meteoric progress.

But she has proved herself capable of competing at the highest level this summer.

The Bradshaw girl topped the Lancashire women's and girls' rankings for hitting sixes, despite playing fewer games than other players, and was top scorer for Lancashire Girls under-13s for the second year running.

It is unusual for someone so young to win a place at one of the development centres, and it has not come without plenty of work, games, experience and, in Daisy's case, teams.

"She played for 11 different teams," said her dad, Chris, of the hectic summer cricketing schedule just completed by his daughter – a talented all-round sportswoman who plays football for Academy Juniors Under-13s in the West Lancashire Girls League – who won the league and cup double – and hockey for her school team.

She was also a finalist in the sports achiever category in the Bolton Council Sports Awards.

"She plays for Bradshaw Cricket Club and also for Leigh's under-13s, under-15s and open-age teams," said Chris.

"She's only been playing for two and a half years so to get into the Lancashire development squad is a phenomenal achievement for her, especially at her age.

"It's been a busy summer of cricket. She won the league and cup double with Bradshaw Under-13s, the cup and league runners-up with Bradshaw Under-15s, the league runners-up with Bradshaw's second team, the league with Leigh women's first team and Leigh Under-13s.

"She's on the Lancashire Emerging Players programme but getting on the Thunder Development Centre is a step up on the pathway."

Jen Barden, head coach of the Thunder Development Centre, said: “This is a great opportunity for this group of girls to develop and learn about themselves and their games.

"It’s an exciting time for women’s sport and in particular cricket with the more opportunities for players to become professional. We hope some of these girls are future players for Lancashire Thunder and in the Kia Super League."

Daisy got a taste of national cricket in August when she played in a county festival at Malvern where England under-13s played an under-15s county girls side.

She then captained the national representative festival under-13s squad to victory over Buckinghamshire Under-19s after which the national coach Ian Gregory wrote in his report: "Captained well, held the shape of the field throughout the innings and communicated well with bowlers.

"Powerful batting performance, hit every bad ball bowled.”