GWENT'S Leila Thomas and Rebecca Baker have been included in the Wales Under-21s squad for this summer's Netball World Youth Cup.

Blaenavon's Thomas and Cross Keys' Baker have been selected in the 12-strong group that will compete in Botswana in July after preparing in a Netball Europe competition in Aberdeen.

Defender Thomas, 18, already has three U21 caps and plays for Celtic Dragons in the Superleague while 19-year-old Baker, who plays centre and shooter, is hoping to win her first cap.

Wales have been drawn in Pool D and will go up against England, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada in the tournament, which takes place every four years.

They will tune up for the global competition when they play in the annual Netball Europe competition in Scotland from May 11 to 14 that will pit them against the hosts, England and Northern Ireland along with other teams from across the world.

"The girls have been working hard in camp and we have developed a competitive edge, where they are consistently challenging each other in and out of camp," said head coach Natalie Peperell.

"We have a pretty strong pool in Botswana but are more than ready to take on the challenge and hopefully facing the England select team in Netball Europe will give us some vital experience when we face them again in the pool stages of NWYC."

The World Youth Cup runs from July 8 to 16 and will be played in two venues in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.

Squad: Rebecca Baker, Fern Davies, Izzy Dunsford, Chloe Dyke, Celyn Emanuel, Lydia Hitchings, Chloe James, Bethan Johnson, Sarah Llewelyn, Megan Powell, Leila Thomas, Miquie Walker-Jones.

Non-travelling reserves: Georgia Jenkins, Lowri Jenkins, Eleri Michaels.