Diana Lewis, the performance pathway manager for England Netball, has been appointed as the national talent manager for women’s cricket by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Lewis will be responsible for developing talented youngsters and working with the 700 cricket clubs offering the sport for women and girls.

She will report to Jonathan Finch, the ECB women’s high performance manager, and work closely with national talent manager Alun Powell, who was recently appointed from the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

ECB England women’s cricket director Clare Connor said Lewis would play a “critical part” in “shaping the development of our most talented youngsters”.

A former Wales under-21 netball player, Lewis has been credited with developing the talent pathway linking the Netball Superleague with the sport’s World-Class Performance Programme.

Connor added: “This is another important step forward in our plans to give more girls an opportunity to maximise their potential and embrace careers as professional cricketers – both with England woman and in the new Kia Super League.

“Cricket is attracting women and girls in ever increasing numbers at grassroots level – giving us a wider pool of talent from which to choose than ever before.”