New Zealand women's cricket may be about to get a significant boost for its age group teams.

As the women's game undergoes something of a boom, especially at secondary school level, news has been received that a New Zealand Under-21 team may be asked to play in Australia's annual state Under-19 tournament.

Northern Districts (ND) women's coach Cliff Dickeson recently took a women's team from the region to Brisbane for some pre-season match play.

It was not a specifically selected side and was a mixture of first-class and age group players who were available to tour.

The side included a couple of first-class players and several young girls who hadn't had a lot of experience.

"I just wanted to give the girls a bit of a head start for the season, and it has worked. One of the girls got a hundred at the weekend while another has had scores of 90, 60 and a 30 while another has scored a 40 and taken plenty of wickets.

"They have a huge advantage as they have been on grass wickets while most of the others in New Zealand are still on artificials," he said.

ND has only had a team in the State provincial competition in New Zealand for one season but support is growing.

"Two of the girls who have got runs have been bowlers and that has been great. I wouldn't have believed the trip would be as successful as it has been.

"It threw up a couple of prospects for us and it was a hell of an enlightening trip.

"We will do it again," he said.

However, the biggest potential benefit was a discussion he had with Queensland's women's state co-ordinator Glenys Thatcher about future involvement of New Zealand teams in Australian women's cricket.

"I got the feeling the state co-ordinators had been talking among themselves before I got over there, but they felt a New Zealand team should be entered into their national Under-19 tournament.

"It would fit in perfectly with our season as their tournament is played just after our national Under-21 tournament is played.

"It wouldn't matter that our players were older as the standard is so high over there," he said.

While there were 500 players registered in Queensland, there were 15,000 in New South Wales and Victoria.

Dickeson said he had passed word on to Mike Shrimpton, the national women's coach, and the ball was in New Zealand Cricket's court.

The benefits of the trip could be seen in the ND State side's performances this year but Dickeson said he wasn't getting carried away. ND would have a strong bowling side and its batting would depend on the year's experience the batsmen had from last season.

Having England batsman Charlotte Edwards playing for the side after her World Cup duties are completed is expected to be a significant boost for the side in the State series.

© CricInfo