Jess Watkin gets nod for new role

Whanganui allrounder Jess Watkin has been named in a three-way arrangement to co-captain national one-day champions the Central Hinds sharing leadership duties for the 2019/20 summer.

In announcing a new captaincy structure on Tuesday, head coach Jamie Watkins said the change was designed to lessen the load on Anlo van Deventer, who is pushing hard for White Ferns selection after a prolific 2018/19 season with the bat.

Van Deventer has led the team in both the one-day and T20 since 2017, and will continue to lead the team in the one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield defence while Watkin and fellow allrounder Hannah Rowe will step up for the first time to co-captain the Hinds through a busy Super Smash T20 season.

"The change will give Anlo the chance to concentrate on her own game during the Super Smash, and will also provide an opportunity for others with a high degree of leadership potential in our group to grow their game in the captaincy role," Watkins said.

Watkin said she felt honoured to be invited to co-captain the Hinds.

"The Hinds have grown so much through the environment created by Jamie and Anlo, and we're at a very exciting stage," said Watkin.

"Hannah and I have learnt a lot from Anlo — and we'll still continue to do so as Anlo leads us through our defence of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.

"Meanwhile, I'm honoured to be leading the team through the T20 campaign, alongside Hannah. We have similar understandings towards the game and work well together so I'm excited by the challenge, and excited to see what we can do."

White Fern contracts have yet to be announced for this summer and a coach has also yet to be named, so there is uncertainty around camp at the moment.

Watkin was in the White Ferns for the Tour of Ireland and England, Australia, the tour of India and the World Cup series last season and like others is awaiting contract announcements. She has been training with the White Ferns during the off-season while studying sport and exercise at Massey University. Watkin also works for Cricket Whanganui.

In the meantime, captaining the Hinds won't be entirely new to Rowe.

The Manawatū-based White Ferns allrounder made her captaincy debut in January this year in a one-off tour match against India women, at Napier's Nelson Park when van Deventer was unavailable due to work commitments.

In the last two seasons, Rowe has served as van Deventer's vice-captain in both formats, while Watkin stepped up to the role of vice-captain for the first time in the tour match against India.

The Hinds' restructure echoes the three-captain system successfully employed by the Central Stags last season — the Stags powering on to claim two of the three men's Domestic trophies.

Sister team the Hinds also enjoyed their most successful season in a decade, van Deventer's young team dominating the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and ousting previous champions the Auckland Hearts in the Grand Final at New Plymouth's Pukekura Park.

Van Deventer led from the front with the bat, netting 514 runs from 11 matches at an 85.66 average, the 25-year-old in the top three run-scorers nationally.

A member of this year's NZC Emerging Players winter training programme, van Deventer is looking forward to a new season which will see the Hinds play an unprecedented six Super Smash doubleheaders with the Stags and four Hallyburton Johnstone Shield home matches.

The one-dayers will open the season at Levin's Donnelly Park (November 16 and 17) with Pukekura Park (one-dayers and Super Smash) and McLean Park (Super Smash) also slated for Hinds home matches this summer.

"Splitting the captaincy was something Jamie and I discussed at the end of last season and we're very fortunate to have a number of people we can choose from in this group who can lead the Hinds," said van Deventer.

"Jess and Rowey both have very good cricket heads. I'm looking forward to seeing them develop further as leaders in the Super Smash campaign," van Deventer said.

In contrast to their one-day fortunes, the Hinds were luckless in last summer's Super Smash — although they pushed the Auckland Hearts hard at Pukekura Park.

By Margot Butcher
Whanganui Chronicle 29/8/19