The Gillette Venus Cup connects schoolgirls’ cricket throughout the country and is back for the 2022-23 season after COVID-19 caused a cancellation the season prior.
The tournament began in 1994 (formerly the Yoplait Cup) and has since hosted a wealth of tenacious young talent that have proceeded to domestic and international honors; Amelia Kerr, Suzie Bates and Katie Perkins to name a few.
NZC is thrilled that this year’s finals will take place between December 20-22 in Lincoln, where the best Secondary School Girls’ First XI teams will fight to take home the silverware.
Check out a preview of the teams attending Gillette Venus, below!
Christchurch Girls’ High School (Canterbury) has a rich history at the Gillette Venus Cup, having attended eight times, and winning the tournament three times. Most recently, CGHS claimed victory at the 2020 edition of the Gillette Venus Cup.
Three players who were part of the 2020 team will be attending this year's tournament, namely; Maggie Martin, Abby McKissock and Estella Wallace. All three also featured in Canterbury’s U19 Women’s side this year and will be key all-rounders for the Cantabrians throughout the tournament.
CGHS begin their tournament on December the 20th with T20’s against Epsom Girls in the morning, and then Waikato Diocesan in the afternoon.
Epsom Girls’ Grammar School (Auckland) are another school with a proud history of attending Gillette Venus over the years. They have appeared at Gillette Venus 18 times – the most by any school.
The school also holds six Gillette Cup victories to its name, including a strong run in the late 90’s - early 2000s, and more recently in 2019.
The team will lean on the talent of Auckland U19 Women’s representatives Elizabeth Buchanan, Holly Lightbourne and Anika Tauwhare. Tauwhare featured in the top ten wicket-takers at the recent Women’s National U19 Tournament.
Opening bowler Christelle Maguire will also be one to watch, who received MVP honors during summer tournament week.
New Plymouth Girls’ High School (Central Districts) qualify for this year's Gillette Venus on the back of a team effort throughout qualifying. Many of the squad featured in runs and wickets, allowing NPGHS to advance past quality opposition in the Central Districts region.
While NPGHS will be looking to all players for contributions, captain Grace Foreman and left-arm seamer Charlotte Stent made appearances at the recent U19 Nationals and will play a pivotal role in driving this young NPGHS team forward.
Former pupils Kendra Cocksedge and Rachel Priest both won Gillette Venus with NPGHS, both winning Player of the Tournament (Cocksedge winning it twice) and Priest holding the school record of 189 not out in a 40-over game. No doubt both will be watching on with interest.
Otago Girls’ High School (Otago) upset cricket powerhouse St Hilda’s Collegiate in their regional final – meaning this year will be the first time since 2009 that St Hilda’s will not be competing at nationals.
OGHS owe a lot of the credit to finals MVP, Hannah Wilson, who scored 29 runs and took 3 wickets in the qualifier. Team captain, Isy Parry, featured in the top 10 run-scorers at Women’s U19 Nationals and will be yet another young player to watch.
OGHS enjoyed a run of national appearances from 2003 – 06, coinciding with former pupil, and now WHITE FERNS icon Suzie Bates’ time at the school. Bates won Player of the Tournament at the 2004 Secondary School Cup, where OGHS placed third.
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls (Northern Districts) attend their seventh national tournament this year and will seek their first-ever tournament win.
Look out for all-rounders Olivia McDonald and Ruby Makenham to make significant impact throughout the tournament, after impressing with bat and ball in qualifying.
ND Women’s U19 representative Catherine Hardie scored a quickfire century (105 off 65 balls) in the qualifying tournament and will be another key figure for WDS.
Wellington Girls’ College (Wellington) attend their ninth Gillette Venus this year, and the first since 2013. WCG captain and leg-spinner, Kate Chandler, was an important player through qualifying, and is certainly a young star on the rise.
At just 14 years old, Chandler made her debut for the Wellington Blaze, and snared a five-wicket haul against Canterbury in her debut season.
All-rounder Eva Hay will also be an interesting player to watch – having the ability to open both the batting and bowling.
All matches will be played at Lincoln University, with matches to be live scored on PlayHQ and on www.nzc.nz. All games on the Bert Sutcliffe Oval will be streamed via NZC’s YouTube channel.
View full team squad lists below:
Christchurch Girls’ HS:
Squad: Maggie Martin (vc), Estella Wallace (vc), Alexis Arnold, Sacha Arnold, Heidi Clouston, Freya Jemmett, Luce Dawson, Lucy Easton, Abby McKissock, Kayla Pringle, Marlie Ross, Lexie Rouse, Pippa Ussher
Coaches: Katrina Keenan, Asst Kirsty Bond
Manager: Robin Brown
Epsom Girls’ Grammar:
Squad: Elizabeth Buchanan (c), Simi Bajaj, Eden Cotton, Mollie Drumm, Emma Hayward, Kate Hall, Emma Johnston, Holly Lightbourne, Christelle McGuire, Phoebe Smith, Anika Tauwhare, Sanaa Sikri
Coaches: Callum McCarthy
Manager: Clarissa Nathaniel
New Plymouth Girls’ HS:
Squad: Grace Foreman (c), Cara Hollard, Charlotte Stent, Caitlin Marshall, Madeleine Kinnell, Jorja Death, Anika Scott, Pippa Birdsall, CJ Blackmore, Alexa Hale, Charlotte Butler, Tara Kinane
Coaches: Chris Coombe
Manager: Helen Foreman
Otago Girls’ HS:
Squad: Isy Parry (c), Hannah Wilson, Beth O’Connor, Elisabeth Hutton-Neil, Babet Doherty, Gemma Burleigh, Kate Ballantyne, Grace Barnes, Abby Harris, Rowan Wilson, Taylor McLean, Ella Cone, Rebecca Johnstone
Coaches: Rosemary Flanagan
Manager: Matt Parry
Waikato Diocesan:
Squad: Olivia McDonald (c), Kate Peddie (vc), Ruby Makeham, Catherine Hardie, Amy Thomas, Sophie Charteris, Gemma Spice, Carys Foot, Abby Lamb, Danneka Dodd, Lucy McLean Bluck, Lucy Hadley
Coaches: Edgar Wilson
Manager: Judith Burrows, Cathie Peddie
Wellington Girls’ College:
Squad: Kate Chandler (c), Jess Barker, Lucy Robinson, Florence Le Masurier, Ahijah Manayil, Ava Tsourgas, Emily McArdie, Eva Hope Hay, Jessica Robinson, Frida Larsen, Libby Duncan, Nell McCrystal
Coaches: John Chandler, Asst John Morrison
Manager: Natasha Robinson
