Welsh duo Sophia and Seren Smale are aiming to make a mark for England in the first ever women's ICC Under-19 T20 World Cup in South Africa.

Opening bat and wicket-keeper Seren has played regional cricket for Manchester-based Thunder.

Despite the unusual shared surname, they are not related.

But the 18-year-olds have known each other for half their lives after meeting as tennis opponents - and even pretended to be sisters on occasion.

"I've known Soph for years, I was always better than her at tennis but we had a few feisty matches," explained Wrexham-born Seren.

"Then when I got into cricket and started playing for Wales, Soph was there as well, and though I split off and started playing for Lancashire, now we've come back together again

"People ask if we're sisters, but we just go with it now, we say were split up at birth and make up stories every time someone says something."

Newport-born Sophia is also enjoying the reunion, which has involved two months' worth of training camps at Loughborough.

"Seren played for Wales for a few years (in age group sides) and we were best mates, so it's nice to take to the field with her again." Sophia said.

"To be playing for England with her is really special. No relation, just best friends."

England, coached by Lightning boss Chris Guest, opted not to take Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp to the tournament after their breakthroughs into the senior national squad. Both Capsey and Kemp have subsequently sustained injuries.

Sophia Smale, who plays regional cricket for Western Storm, is joined by three other players with Hundred experience, Oval team-mate Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Welsh Fire's Hannah Baker and London Spirit's Grace Scrivens.

"The end goal is to play for England regularly but at the moment it's just about stepping stones towards it, I've had such a good year I can't get ahead of myself," Sophia told BBC Sport Wales.

"I've got Sophie Ecclestone, the best bowler in the world (in the same role) so it's going to be hard to knock her out unless I get in with her. I would love to play for the main England women's side but at the moment I'm just focussing on doing well in the Under-19 World Cup, putting the performances in for Storm, and hopefully getting in The Hundred next summer."

In north Wales, Seren did not take up the sport until the age of 12, when she asked her grandfather Tecwyn Jones to take her to nets at Mold, where he was chairman.

She has been playing as much cricket as she can ever since, clocking up appearances for Nantwich and Chester Broughton Hall women's sides, men's teams at Buckley and Mold, plus county appearances for Wales, Cheshire and Lancashire, before turning out for Thunder at Old Trafford.

Seren, who quotes England's Tammy Beaumont and Australia's Alyssa Healy among her role models, is keen to join her namesake in developing a professional career.

"It's never been my forte sitting down and learning, I'm more of a buzzing about sort of person. It's a great time to try for a professional career, even for me over two seasons, I can see how much the game's progressed," she said.

"I want to keep enjoying it because that's when I play my best, but I want to stand out and be the top batter, the one that changes a game."

The first ever women's Under-19 tournament involves 16 sides, with Ireland also among 12 nations granted direct entry while Scotland beat Netherlands to qualify.

England will be favourites to top a group containing Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Rwanda, with the likelihood of two tougher matches in a Super Six stage, before a potential semi-final.

England play at Potchefstroom in North-West Province, starting on 13 January, with Benoni in Gauteng the other host city.

"To put the Three Lions on, it's really special, they're the best group of girls you could ask for and I've had a blast," said Sophia.

"I'm sure Australia will be thereabouts, but I think we'll be favourites because so many girls have been exposed to professional cricket and our structure is really good."

"We've got a very strong team and we're backing ourselves," echoed Seren. "But we can't discount teams like India, Australia, New Zealand, they've got good sides along with the home team South Africa. It'll be challenging but we'll be ok."

The England men's side was without Welsh representation between Simon Jones' last game in 2005 and Phil Salt's debut in 2021. There has been a similar drought in the senior women's game since Stephanie Davies in 2008.

But the Smale girls are hoping to take a step towards ending that unwanted record, as they break new ground with the Three Lions in the female game.