While the one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield has already been locked away in the Auckland Hearts’ trophy cabinet, New Zealand’s other national competition for women — the NZC Women’s Twenty20 — is only at its midpoint. That, however, is about to change, and in a hurry.
Five rapid-fire rounds over the next four days at NZC’s high performance base in Lincoln — including a doubleheader on Friday with six games in one action-packed day, and five live-streamed matches — will decide the 2017/18 national champion as all six teams play each other in an exciting tournament-style finale to the New Zealand women’s domestic season.
Exciting times for the Central Hinds. MButcher/NZC
What’s more, teams will have their star players back with all the WHITE FERNS who made such an impact in this year’s WBBL across the Tasman ready to fire at the business end for their New Zealand domestic teams.
That includes Amy Satterthwaite, the Canterbury Magicians’ most capped player with 64 T20s to her name and whose return will be especially welcomed by the struggling team, the in-form allrounder having been honoured this week as the 2017/18 WBBL’s Player of the Year.
Star factor: Amy Satterthwaite returns. PHOTOSPORT
Satterthwaite, pace bowler Lea Tahuhu and allrounder Thamsyn Newton will all be back in action for the Magicians; Sophie Devine and Rachel Priest return to Wellington Blaze while defending champions the Otago Sparks — currently last on the points table — will be grateful to have their two most experienced players, Suzie Bates (50 T20 caps for the Sparks) and Katey Martin (59 T20 caps for the Sparks, the Otago record), back in their midst.
The Otago Sparks get WHITE FERNS captain Suzie Bates back. PHOTOSPORT
Former WHITE FERN Sara McGlashan, New Zealand’s third most capped player in T20 international cricket, has also been named in the Auckland Hearts squad, alongside veteran dynamic fielder and allrounder Katie Perkins who makes her return from thumb surgery in time to press a claim for selection in the looming WHITE FERNS home series against the West Indies.
Katie Perkins adds all-round value to the Hearts. PHOTOSPORT
Perkins holds the Auckland Hearts record for T20 appearances with 58 heading into tomorrow’s Round Six. Meanwhile, a regular for the Sydney Sixers for the past three summers, McGlashan’s last appearance for the Hearts in the NZC WT20 competition was in February 2017.
Says Auckland Hearts Coach Dean Flyger, “It's great to have ‘Macca’ and ‘Perky’ back in the group for the T20 rounds in Lincoln. They bring a heap of experience — especially with Macca coming off a WBBL win with the Sydney Sixers.”
No team is out of the running for the title, however the Hearts and Blaze have a jump on the rest of the field with an eight-point advantage (a win worth four points) over the mid-table Hinds and Northern Spirit.
Spirit captain Nat Dodd. PHOTOSPORT
The giant-killing young sides from the districts sit on eight points each, trailed by both the Magicians and Sparks on six points.
Mikaela Greig returns for the Hinds from a back injury for the clutch rounds while their WHITE FERN Hannah Rowe is back on all cylinders after a dislocated finger.
- All matches on Bert Sutcliffe Oval will be livestreamed and all matches live-scored at ww.nzc.nz
- Full schedule
SQUADS
Auckland Hearts Full squad yet to be advised; Sara McGlashan and Katie Perkins return.
Northern Spirit: Natalie Dodd (captain), Kate Anderson, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Sam Curtis, Carolyn Esterhuizen, Katie Gurrey, Brooke Halliday, Tayla Hollis, Felicity Leydon-Davis, Regina Lili'i, Brianna Perry, Alisha Rout, Feala Vaelua
Central Hinds: Anlo van Deventer (captain), Hannah Rowe (vice-captain), Georgia Atkinson, Rebecca Burns, Emily Cunningham, Mikaela Greig, Melissa Hansen, Taila Hurley, Esther Lanser, Rosemary Mair, Monique Rees, Kerry Tomlinson, Jess Watkin
Wellington Blaze: Liz Perry (captain), Sophie Devine, Lucy Doolan, Deanna Doughty, Allex Evans, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Caitlin King, Suzie McDonald, Jess McFadyen, Beth Molony, Rachel Priest, Eimear Richardson
Canterbury Magicians: Frances Mackay (captain), Melissa Banks, Erin Bermingham, Natalie Cox, Kate Ebrahim, Sophie Gray, Laura Hughes, Evelyn Jones, Emma Kench, Olivia McGoverne, Allie Mace-Cochrane, Thamsyn Newton, Amy Satterthwaite, Jess Simmons, Gabby Sullivan, Lea Tahuhu
Otago Sparks: Suzie Bates, Emma Black, Caitlin Blakely, Georgia Clarke, Megan Gibbs, Georgia Heffernan, Kate Heffernan, Polly Inglis, Leigh Kasperek, Beth Langston, Katey Martin, Morna Nielsen
