Awesome foursome in White Ferns

The WHITE FERNS squad to Australia has been revealed and it’s excellent news for four of our Central Hinds.

HANNAH ROWE, NATALIE DODD, JESS WATKIN and ROSEMARY MAIR have all been named in the 17-strong team that will make the trip across the Tasman to play three ODIs and three T20is — and it’s the first time in 11 years that a quartet of Hinds players has been picked together.

The last occasion four Hinds joined forces in the national squad was at the 2009 Women’s World Cup in Australia when the New Zealanders were captained by Aimee Watkins and included Rachel Priest, Sara McGlashan and Abby Burrows.

While Rowe, Mair and Dodd are all contracted WHITE FERNS, today’s news is especially sweet for Jess Watkin who gets an international recall after a powerhouse season for the Hinds that saw her named the Central Hinds Player of the Year for 2019/20.

The 22-year-old off-spinning allrounder last repped the Ferns in 2018 — having impressed selectors with the first even double century at the national Under 20s tournament — and already has half centuries in both formats after cutting her teeth against Ireland. However, the newbie youngster struggled against tougher opposition and has opened up recently of the nerves she suffered on the back of low scores.

“Playing for the WHITE FERNS has been a dream, and then to have it taken away from me was pretty heartbreaking,” Watkin told journalist Tim Evans.

But she bounced back. Last summer Watkin was the Central Hinds’ top runscorer in both formats with an aggregate of 660 runs, backed up by her reliable and economical bowling. With her trademark blend of hard hitting and pinpoint footwork, it was also the first time she had produced a very big score at Hinds level, her magnificent maiden century reaching 158 against Wellington Blaze in the one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.

She also blasted 95 and 58 in last season’s Dream11 Super Smash season, scoring 275 runs from 10 rounds in her most productive season yet.

Watkin was closely followed in the stats by Natalie Dodd who came in just two runs below Watkin’s overall tally last season with 658 runs across the two formats.

At 27, the consistent and elegant opener gets her first WHITE FERNS opportunity since a T20i home series against the West Indies two years ago, and potentially her first ODI appearance in four years since touring South Africa.

For Dodd it’s the perfect result after having moved to the Hinds in 2018 looking to rejuvenate her long career.

Rowe and Mair meanwhile continue to stand out among the top pace bowlers in the country with Rowe having been the Hinds’ leading wicket-taker in both formats in 2019/20 and 21-year-old Mair settling in at international level.

The squad to play in Queensland next month also features a potential WHITE FERNS debutante in Wellington Blaze leg-spinner Deanna Doughty, picked in her first squad with regular spinners Leigh Kasperek and Anna Peterson unavailable; while Amy Satterthwaite makes her post-motherhood return to bolster the top-order batting for the three Rose Bowl One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals.

The team will go into quarantine at either side of the COVID-rejigged tour that was originally slated for New South Wales, Townsville, Cairns and the Gold Coast but will now take place entirely in Brisbane. WHITE FERNS captain Sophie Devine said the team was absolutely buzzing at the prospect of getting back on the park.

“The team is extremely thankful to all those involved in making this tour a reality,” she said.

“We hope the upcoming ODI and T20I matches can excite and entertain people in what’s been a tough time for everyone. We’re definitely going over there to bring back the Rose Bowl.”

The squad has been working hard in winter camps in Lincoln and Mount Maunganui over the past few months to get ready to face Australia, one of the toughest sides in women’s world cricket.

“We have a slightly bigger squad for this tour given the strict rules and regulations in the current climate,” noted coach Bob Carter.

“However, the extra time together will be beneficial for the group and their development as cricketers.”

NZ WHITEFERNS v AUSTRALIA 2020

NATALIE DODD — Central Hinds — Taranaki
ROSEMARY MAIR — Central Hinds — Hawke's Bay
HANNAH ROWE — Central Hinds — Manawatū
JESS WATKIN — Central Hinds — Whanganui
Sophie Devine (c) — Wellington Blaze
Deanna Doughty — Wellington Blaze — uncapped
Maddy Green — Wellington Blaze
Amelia Kerr — Wellington Blaze
Jess Kerr — Wellington Blaze
Suzie Bates — Otago Sparks
Katey Martin — Otago Sparks
Hayley Jensen — Otago Sparks
Lauren Down — Auckland Hearts
Holly Huddleston — Auckland Hearts
Katie Perkins — Auckland Hearts
Amy Satterthwaite — Canterbury Magicians
Lea Tahuhu — Canterbury Magicians

CommBank Women's T20 Series

First T20i: 26 September
Second T20i: 27 September
Third T20i: 30 September

CommBank Women's ODI Series

First ODI: 3 October
Second ODI: 5 October
Third ODI: 7 October

All matches played at Brisbane's Allan Border Field.

cdcricket.co.nz/newsarticle 28/8/20