Watkin closing in on dream - October 2015
INDOOR HONOURS: Wanganui's Jessica Watkin bowling during the WICF Junior World Series in Brisbane last week.
Wanganui teen breaks into NZ senior A squad!
THE news never stops for Wanganui's standout women's cricket allrounder WHS student Jessica Watkin. The 17-year-old got home from Australia on Sunday, after being a key member of the New Zealand Under-18 women's indoor cricket team, who came second at the WICF Junior World Series.
Waiting for her was a phone call about her first national senior call-up in the outdoor format.
Watkin has been chosen for the New Zealand A squad, who will play the White Ferns and the Sri Lanka women's team as warm-up games for their own international series this month.
The teenager - who bats top of the order, bowls spin and can play as wicketkeeper - said the games will be held at the Lincoln University oval near the end of this month.
Having become a fixture in the Central Districts Hinds team in the last two seasons, making the second-tier New Zealand squad shows Watkin her dream of becoming a White Fern while still based in Wanganui is near to becoming a reality.
"My goal has always been [selection] before I end school. I've got another year to go, hopefully I can do it."
Her success is all the more impressive given Watkin has developed her game without the benefit of a local women's competition, instead playing men's Premier 1 club cricket for the Tech team in between her Hinds matches.
In 2013, she was the key player in the first Wanganui senior women's representative team in 14 years.
For comparison, one of her Manawatu opponents and current Hinds teammate Hannah Rowe, 19, has been named in the White Ferns to play Sri Lanka for the one-day international and Twenty20 formats.
Watkin had to join the Wellington team to play in the national indoor tournament in August, having tried her first indoor tournament at Queen's Birthday weekend.
New Zealand sent a 12-strong women's Under-18 squad to the Junior World Series, alongside three boys' teams at Under 14-18 level. They played at the Toombul Indoor Sports Centre in Brisbane in a week of games against Australia, South Africa, and Australia A.
In indoor cricket, eight players take part on the "court", each bowling two overs and batting together in partnerships of four overs. Running between wickets secures points, while hitting the ball to the boundary nets can yield up to a maximum of seven runs, depending on where the ball lands.
At the same time, losing a wicket means five runs get taken off the score.
"A team could be at negative 30, so you keep going until the overs are done," Watkin said.
Playing twice a day, the Kiwis had a good body recovery programme when they came off court, while also rotating their squad as Watkin was rested for three of their 11 games.
New Zealand swept the South Africa and Australia A teams in their three matches, while beating Australia in the first game, losing the second, then being beaten in the third game when they were confirmed for the final and rested key players, including Watkin.
In Saturday's final, the team came up a bit short of their own standards, losing 132-115 to a class side.
"We posted a good score - that's good for six-ball overs - but I guess the nerves [were there]," said Watkin.
"There was a big crowd there, and the fielding errors [and] not bowling in the right areas."
One consolation was teammate Jess Kerr was named player of the series for the women's under-18 grade.
Watkin said she enjoyed the tournament week and the camaraderie between the teams
"It's really like a family. After the games we were all in this big hall and swapped shirts."
The teenager had wanted to keep both of her uniforms - the black and the grey - but relented and traded the latter for a South African playing top.
However, her first black New Zealand uniform came home with her and might be the first of many more to come.
(Wanganui Chronicle article 6/10/15)
CAMARADERIE: The New Zealand and Australia Under-18 women's teams after their Junior World Series final on Saturday.
