NEWPORT cricket prodigy Rose Evans believes an upcoming Wales development tour of Sri Lanka will help her batting improve no end, writes Jimmy Booker.

Evans, 17, is heading to the sub-continent next month as part of a Wales squad which will play six matches against local sides.

And the teenager is hoping the change in climate and conditions will prove to be a valuable learning curve for her as she looks to develop her game.

“I played in similar conditions in Abu Dhabi in 2015,” said Evans, who plays her club cricket for Newport Cricket Club.

“It was really good to see the different types of conditions that we don’t normally get to play in this country because of the weather, so it was a good challenge.

“It changed the way I approached cricket over here because of the conditions – whatever the weather, the way you can play is completely different.

“I want to improve my confidence and I want to be able to play more attacking shots and get into the mindset of believing I can score runs rather than hoping.

“I’ve only been at senior level for a short time. At junior level, I started to play more confidently, but with the transition to seniors it’s a bit more difficult.”

The teenager is currently juggling cricketing duties with studying for A-levels in biology, maths and PE at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School in her home town.

Evans picked out being made vice-captain of the Wales under-17 team as a highlight of 2016, and said she learned a lot from being able to think about the bigger picture of matches and communicating with her team and captain.

Looking back on last year, Evans says she has improved her defensive abilities as a batsman, but is targeting more attacking play in the future.

“I don’t think I give my wicket away quite as often as I used to, but looking forward, I need to work on my concentration in order to be able to score the bigger runs,” added Evans, who benefits from being a part of the SSE Next Generation programme.

“I find I get started and then suffer a lack of concentration, and I want to cut that out.”

n SSE’s Next Generation programme partners with SportsAid to provide financial support and training to the sports stars of the future. Keep up to date with the latest news via @SSENextGen