Leah Poulton is an explosive batsman who was called into the Australian senior set-up for the first time in September 2006 on the back of a strong domestic season, where she scored 325 runs at an average of 32.5. Described as "a talented player with a free-flowing game," by Margaret Jennings, the Australian chairman of selectors, Poulton did not disappoint her backers and made a series-clinching century in only her third ODI. With her 101, Australia sealed the Rose Bowl series 3-0 with two games to spare and she became the fourth Australian to score a century against New Zealand. Though she did begin the series and her one-day career with a duck, Poulton made 68 in the fourth ODI and ended the series with 197 runs at 39.40. She is a former captain of Australia Under-19 and plays domestic cricket for New South Wales. Picked for the Quadrangular tournament in India in February 2007, Poulton will be looking to establish herself in the national team in the coming seasons.
Cricinfo Staff February 2007