A Gwent teenager who is waiting for a kidney transplant will lead out the England and Australian cricket teams in tomorrow’s Ashes opener at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff.

Fifthteen-year-old Sahibba Ali from Newport, who has kidney failure, has been selected as one of the mascots for the biggest cricket game ever to be staged in Wales.

The brave teenager has been waiting for more for than 12 months for a kidney transplant and is a patient at the Children’s Kidney Unit in Cardiff which is supported by the Kidney Wales Foundation.

Cricket fan Sahibba is no stranger to the stars having already met Kidney Wales Ambassador for Young People Ian Watkins from the Lostprophets and Newport’s Welsh international footballer Nathan Blake.

She also met Glamorgan cricket legends Matthew Maynard and Robert Croft when they paid a special visit to the Children’s Kidney Unit with Kidney Wales last year.

Sahibba said: I’m really excited about the game. I love cricket and it’s going to be great fun.