KATY SMITH has been named by Bowls England in a shortlist of 13 players from which its two representatives - one boy and one girl - will be selected for the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.

The Games will take place from Saturday September 5 until Saturday September 12 with a singles event for both genders and the two players joining forces in the mixed pairs.

Smith, 18, from Peatmoor, West Swindon plays outdoor bowls for the Wootton Bassett club is one of only five girls named in the short-list for the Youth Games in Samoa in the autumn.

All of the shortlisted players have been invited to attend a final training weekend at Stoke BC (Coventry, Warwickshire), on May 16-17.

The shortlisted players are:

Girls: Chloe Brett (Huntingdonshire); Lydia Cutmore (Yorkshire); Ruby Hill (Lincolnshire); Katy Smith (Wiltshire) and Chloe Wordingham (Northamptonshire).

Boys: Bradley Coles (Hertfordshire); James Fuge (Essex); Harry Goodwin (Devon); Liam Harris (Suffolk); Louis McCubbin (Hampshire); Adam Smith (Gloucestershire); Harry Ward (Huntingdonshire) and John Yates (Lancashire).

Lawn Bowls was last included in the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2003 when England’s representatives included Sian Honnor and Sam Tolchard, both of whom successfully participated in the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Three-time Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Ellen Falkner is leading the preparation programme on behalf of Bowls England and will accompany the players to the Games in Samoa.

Falkner said: “The Commonwealth Youth Games has been proven to be a tremendous experience for junior bowlers on their journey to elite participation.

“The final selection will consider a number of factors including bowling achievements, commitment to the programme and their anticipated ability to cope with the environment in Samoa.”

Final selection will be conducted by Bowls England and confirmed by Commonwealth Games England during May.

The two chosen players will then receive further support and training to help them to prepare for the Games.

Smith was originally nominated for the Commonwealth Youth Games and had to attend a get together of all the players named at Leamington in mid-February.

She successfully came through that selection process to make the final short-list of five from which just one girl will be chosen.

Her proud father Neil, an established Wiltshire county men’s player for many years who has made over 100 Middleton Cup (inter-county championship) appearances commented: “Looking at all of the girls that were at the first development day in February Katy’s cv stood out very well.

“However, Chloe Wordingham from Northants is probably the favourite to get the spot as she won the u18 singles at Leamington last year.

“But Ellen Falkner has obviously seen something in Katy that she likes and the advantage Katy has is the level of bowls she has been competing at for the past two years is higher than all the other girls in the short list so hopefully may give her the edge.

He added: “ All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.”