Konica Queensland Fire allrounder Leonie Shields will captain the Queensland Women's Under-19s team in the National Youth Championships in Toowoomba from January 6-16.

Shields, originally from Oakey but now playing for Wests in Brisbane, was a member of last year's Konica Queensland Under-19 team that finished second behind NSW.

Also named in the team is 16-year-old Gold Coast off-spinner Belinda Matheson, who was on stand-by to make her Women's National Cricket League debut for the Fire earlier in the season when she was still 15.

Shields, Matheson and Kerryn Matthews of the Sunshine Coast are members of the Queensland Academy of Sport cricket squad.

The Australian Under-19 championships will be held at a number of venues in Toowoomba.

Konica Queensland Under-19 team: Leonie Shields (Wests, capt), Catherine Macrae (Dalby), Belinda Matheson (Wests), Kerryn Matthews (Sunshine Coast), Angela Murnane (Wests), Therese O'Connor (Wests), Jodie Purves (Toowoomba), Leteysha Randall (Biggenden), Christine Ryan (Sandgate-Redcliffe), Eileen Short (Charleville), Eleanora Sponza (Wests), Heidi Thompson (Wynnum-Manly), Jenesse Valentine (Rockhampton).

© 1999 Queensland Cricket