Great Britain hockey stars, Ellie Watton and Hannah Macleod, are poised for international milestones during a six-test series in Australia.

Herts Advertiser: Ellie Watton should reach a combined total of 50 caps for GB and England. Picture: FRANK UIJLENBROEKEllie Watton should reach a combined total of 50 caps for GB and England. Picture: FRANK UIJLENBROEK (Image: ffu.nl/Frank Uijlenbroek)

The St Albans Hockey Club pair are part of a 22-strong squad named by Great Britain head coach Danny Kerry ahead of the games.

Macleod, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, is five short of winning 50 Great Britain caps.

And Watton needs just three caps to reach her half century of combined England and Great Britain appearances.

GB captain Kate Richardson-Walsh should also become Great Britain’s most capped female.

Currently on 353 caps, she has Karen Brown’s 355 in sight and could surpass the total in the third match of the series.

Great Britain will face Australia six times over the course of the series with the first match set to take place on February 12.

The series will provide excellent preparation for the team ahead of an important year where London will host the best teams in the world at the Champions Trophy before the Olympics in Rio in August where Australia and Great Britain are in the same pool.

Coach Kerry said: “We will be using the training and the test series to give the squad exposure to a different style of hockey to the one they would typically face in Europe.

“It is a good opportunity for us to develop as a group with an extended period of matches in an overseas environment.”

Great Britain squad for Australia test series:

Giselle Ansley (Surbiton), Sophie Bray (East Grinstead), Crista Cullen (Unattached), Alex Danson (Reading), Susie Gilbert (Reading), Sarah Haycroft (Surbiton), Maddie Hinch (Holcombe), Joie Leigh (Clifton), Kirsty Mackay (East Grinstead),

Hannah Macleod (St Albans), Shona McCallin (Holcombe), Lily Owsley (University of Birmingham), Sam Quek (Holcombe), Helen Richardson-Walsh (Reading), Kate Richardson-Walsh (Reading), Sarah Robertson (Holcombe), Zoe Shipperley (Buckingham), Susannah Townsend (Canterbury), Georgie Twigg (Surbiton), Laura Unsworth (East Grinstead), Ellie Watton (St Albans), Hollie Webb (Surbiton)