TIMING as been a favourable trait of Holly Colvin's. The youngest person to play a Test for England - having been plucked from a nets session to do so - was lucky she even made it to Sydney at all.

On the way to Heathrow Airport with former England captain Clare Connor two months ago, their car broke down and inadvertently blocked traffic, bringing three police cars to the scene. After a lengthy delay, Colvin managed to get a taxi and jump on the plane with moments to spare.

Now she's ready to become the first overseas cricketer to play in the Women's National Cricket League, for the NSW Breakers, aged 19 and ranked as the sixth-best limited overs bowler in the world.

"It is an exciting prospect. I feel quite a lot of pressure because [Breakers' skipper] Lisa Sthalekar bowls spin also," Colvin said. "It will develop me as a cricketer. What comes with that is I get to bowl against [international] opposition and find out their weaknesses and their strengths but at the same time they get to see mine."

Colvin debuted for England against Australia aged 15 years and 336 days in August 2005, and took three wickets. Incredibly, she wasn't even a member of the squad, but had been called in the day before to give the team's batters practise against a left-arm spinner in preparation to face Australia's Shelley Nitschke, who is second in the world rankings.

Colvin has played three Tests, taking 10 wickets at the excellent average of 24.10, while in 30 one-dayers she has 41 scalps at 19.90.

Unlike the men, she does not have the luxury of pursuing the sport with tunnel vision. A top-10 male bowler, aged 19, would have a six-figure contract, sponsors chasing him and probably a lucrative IPL offer in the offing.

For Colvin and other women cricketers, the battle for recognition, let alone decent pay, still looms large. Therefore, she said, her studies in biology and chemistry take precedence.

"The reason I came over is that it's a gap year in my studies and I could prepare for the World Cup," she said. "My career, in terms of university, comes first … I've only got one shot with these exams."

As in most things she does, it seems, Colvin only needs one shot.