TelstraClear White Ferns train with champion schoolgirls

The TelstraClear White Ferns took time out today to pass on some tips to New Zealand's top schoolgirls' cricket teams before they leave for a four-week tour of the Netherlands, Ireland and England tomorrow.

The girls, from Epsom Girls Grammar School and Viscount Navigator School in Mangere spent time interacting with the TelstraClear White Ferns during a skill-based training session in the gymnasium at Epsom Girls Grammar before sitting down to a shared lunch.

Viscount Navigator School were winners of last season's Milo Shield, the national primary schoolgirls' competition, and Epsom Girls Grammar School were national champions in the secondary schoolgirls' division.

"It was fantastic to come out here today and see the enthusiasm and, equally important, the level of skill these young female cricketers have," said TelstraClear White Ferns captain, Emily Drumm.

"Cricket is a game where, more so than brute strength, skill, technique and mental toughness are the greatest pre-requisites to success.

"So naturally it's a game young women can excel at and enjoy."

This year New Zealand Cricket's annual census revealed a 14 percent increase in the number of secondary schoolgirls playing cricket.