Hannah Rowe to captain Hinds
Manawatu¯ cricketer Hannah Rowe will make her Central Hinds captaincy debut tomorrow when the Hinds host a rare fixture against a touring international team.
The 22-year-old White Ferns bowler has been named to lead the Hinds against India in a one-day warmup match at Napier’s Nelson Park.
Rowe is the vice captain, but will step into the shoes of regular skipper Anlo van Deventer, who is unavailable due to work.
Rowe said the match would be a stimulating opportunity for the Hinds, who are one of the top one-day teams this summer. They are second on the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day table with four rounds to go before the final.
‘‘It’s so exciting for us as a group to play a world-class side like India,’’ Rowe said. ‘‘The girls are well aware that it’s going to be a real challenge and are excited to see how they go.
‘‘Opportunities like this don’t come around very often, so to get the chance to play with and lead such an exciting group of young Hinds is awesome. It’s a real privilege to be involved in, let alone captain such a historic game for the Hinds.’’
Also unavailable are Wairarapa’s Kerry Tomlinson and Taranaki’s Kate Baxter, who are manager and coach, respectively, of the Central Districts under-18 women’s side that will be in action in Wellington at their annual tournament.
Whanganui’s Jess Watkin will be vicecaptain. ‘‘It’s a scary feeling thinking of captaining against such a destructive side, but with the help of Jess Watkin and [CD under-21 captain] Rosemary Mair I’m sure we will work out some good plans and really look to challenge India as much as we can,’’ Rowe said.
The last time the Hinds played a one-day match against an international team was in November 2000, also at Nelson Park, when the Hinds played two warmup fixtures against The Netherlands before the World Cup in Christchurch.
The last and only occasion the Hinds played India was on January 23, 1982 in Palmerston North, 14 years before Rowe was born.
It was a 60-over world cup warmup at Manawaroa Park, which India won by 52 runs.
Rowe debuted for the Hinds in the 2011-12 season when she was still at Palmerston North Girls’ High School and has since played 58 one-day matches and 41 twenty20s.
She has also played 17 one-dayers and 15 twenty20s for New Zealand. She is the sole CD representative in the 13-strong White Ferns squad to play India in three one-dayers and three twenty20s, starting next week.
She has faced India in a one-day match once before, when the White Ferns lost by 186 runs in Derbyshire at the 2017 women’s World Cup.
Rowe also made her twenty20 international debut against India in 2015, when the White Ferns won by six wickets in Bengaluru.