Emerging Litchfield the star in Australia A whitewash

While Australia were fighting to retain the Ashes at Manuka Oval, one of the country's brightest talents was making life just as hard for the English just a few suburbs away.

Phoebe Litchfield, aged 18, outshone far more experienced teammates and rivals to finish as the leading run-scorer of the three-match one-day series between Australia A and England A, despite only featuring in two of the matches.

She top-scored at No.4 with 54 from 78 in the first one-dayer, then hit 76 off 98 at first drop in the third as Australia A claimed a 3-0 sweep.

It ensured their rivals would returned home last week without a win to their name, having earlier lost the T20 leg 2-0 with one game washed out.

"I was really happy to get an opportunity at the top of the order (it is something) I'm really grateful for," Litchfield told cricket.com.au.

"In our last 50-over game we had Georgia Redmayne batting at seven, so we had a lot of depth and there were a lot of batters who could easily have taken the number three, number four spots, so I was grateful to (coach) Jude (Coleman) for putting me there.

"Elyse Villani was amazing, her knowledge around her own game and others' games is really good ... she helped me create plans against batters and even when I was batting out there with her, she was really calm and just knew what she had to do."

The left-hander also played a crucial hand in the first T20 in Adelaide; after openers Elyse Villani and Georgia Redmayne were dismissed cheaply, she hit a run-a-ball 36 and shared in a key 79-run stand with fellow youngster Georgia Voll to set up a final-over victory.

"It shows that our depth is really strong in Australia and it felt good to sort of prove that," Litchfield said of the undefeated tour.

"England had chances to win some games, they're not far off and it was definitely a good contest, but it was nice to have a whitewash.

"It was a good challenge, their bowling attack is really good, especially the players they got from the England side, like Sarah Glenn and Tash Farrant, so it was a good challenge to see where I'm at."

Litchfield, who hails from Orange in country New South Wales and who recently relocated to Sydney after graduating from high school during WBBL|07, was typically humble when reflecting on her own campaign for the A side.

But the teenager came alive when sharing her other highlight of the past month – which came from the one game she did not feature in.

Rested from the second one-dayer when Australia senior squad members Nicola Carey and Hannah Darlington were given game time, Litchfield and Victorian teenager Tess Flintoff instead took over their drinks carrying duties on the final day of the Manuka Oval Test.

It meant Litchfield had the best seat in the house, in the Australian dug out, through the thrilling final session of play that saw the hosts wrest momentum back from England, and all results in play through to the final over.

"That was awesome … it was probably the best day you could possibly pick to run drinks, because it was just so amazing," Litchfield said.

"A few of the Aussie girls were like, 'did you draw the short straw having to run drinks all day?'

"And I'm like, 'no, this is so cool'.

"Just to be in that set-up and see what it's like, and then for the game to go that close and we're running on drinks and messages, it was pretty cool."

Litchfield will now turn her attention to the remainder of the domestic 50-over season with the NSW Breakers, where she will hope to build on her career-best 88 against Victoria in December.

The rejigged schedule for the Women's National Cricket League is expected to be confirmed this week.

Australia A v England A

Australia A squad: Georgia Redmayne (c), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Katie Mack, Courtney Sippel, Molly Strano, Elyse Villani, Georgia Voll, Courtney Webb, Amanda-Jade Wellington

England A squad: Emily Arlott, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Alice Davidson-Richards, Georgia Elwiss, Kirstie Gordon, Eve Jones, Beth Langston, Emma Lamb, Bryony Smith, Ellie Threlkeld, Issy Wong

Jan 20: Australia A won by three wickets

Jan 21: Australia A won by 10 wickets

Jan 23: No Result

Jan 28: First OD, Philip Oval, Canberra, 10am AEDT

Jan 30: Second OD, Philip Oval, Canberra, 10am AEDT

Feb 2: Third OD, Philip Oval, Canberra, 10am AEDT