BURY cricketer Kate Cross has been named in a squad of 16 for England Women's upcoming series against New Zealand.

The Lancashire and North West Thunder seamer joins teammate Sophie Ecclestone on the tour which will see England Women play three IT20s and three ODIs against the White Ferns.

Lisa Keightley and her team fly to New Zealand on January 24 ahead of fixtures across February and March.

England Women vice-captain Anya Shrubsole will miss the forthcoming tour of due to a knee injury.

Nat Sciver will act as vice-skipper in Shrubsole's absence, while all-rounder Katie George has been left out after sustaining a stress fracture in her back.

Tash Farrant and Sophia Dunkley, who do not have central contracts, have been included but there is no place for spin bowler Kirstie Gordon.

Central Sparks' 18-year-old pace bowler Issy Wong will travel with the group as part of her development.

The team, captained by Heather Knight, are scheduled to depart on January 24 and will quarantine for 14 days on arrival in line with New Zealand Government guidelines.

After their opening match at the Hagley Oval, England will complete the ODI series with successive games in Dunedin, on February 26 and 28.

IT20 matches will be played on March 3, 5 and 7 in Wellington, Auckland and Tauranga respectively.

Director of England Women's Cricket Jonathan Finch said in a statement: "We have a really important 24 months in front of us with two ICC Global Events, the Women's Ashes and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

"Our ambition is to be successful across all these events and this tour is the first step towards achieving that."

England squad: Heather Knight (Western Storm, captain), Tammy Beaumont (Lightning), Katherine Brunt (Northern Diamonds), Kate Cross (Thunder), Freya Davies (South East Stars), Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars), Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder), Georgia Elwiss (Southern Vipers), Tash Farrant (South East Stars), Sarah Glenn (Central Sparks), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Nat Sciver (Northern Diamonds, vice-captain), Mady Villiers (Sunrisers), Fran Wilson (Sunrisers), Lauren Winfield-Hill (Northern Diamonds), Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers).