Manawatu¯ team ready for Super League
The opportunity to play extra rounds of high-level cricket has been gleefully accepted by Manawatu¯’s top female cricketers.
Manawatu¯’s rep players will be in action this weekend in the Central Super League, a new competition designed to bridge the gap for young players between association cricket and the Central Hinds.
The new Central Districts franchise-based competition starts with one-day games at Palmerston North’s Manawaroa Park today and tomorrow.
The Palmerston North Tu¯ı¯, New Plymouth Power, Tararua Kotahi (Wairarapa) and Coastal Challengers Levin are the four teams, and a player draft was held to select the sides.
Most of Manawatu¯’s players are in the Tu¯ı¯ team, which is coached by Manawatu¯’s Dilan Raj.
With players spread across the region, they have had little preparation time together, but have had satellite trainings. The Tu¯ı¯ have held one training session together.
‘‘We are trying to get them together as a group and create an environment where they can play comfortably,’’ Raj said.
All the players already compete in the Shrimpton Trophy competition, but the new super league gives them more games. Players from across CD’S associations, including Nelson, are entered.
Younger players will want to impress, with the national under-19 tournament in January and a chance from there to be selected for the inaugural New Zealand under-19 women’s team and the Hinds.
‘‘It is like a really big A programme, getting all the best girls playing against each other,’’ Raj said. ‘‘Instead of having 12 girls in an A team, we have got 52 girls, with the Hinds competing and testing them.’’
He said the Tu¯ı¯ picked a lot of local players in the draft and were likely to be underdogs in the competition.
‘‘I think the girls are very keen to do well. The girls are keen to win the trophy. We will focus on doing those little things that will help us go towards winning the trophy.’’
White Ferns seamer Hannah Rowe will captain the Tu¯ı¯ and she also has Hinds team-mates Georgia Atkinson and Ashtuti Kumar in the side.
Palmerston North have made one change to their team for the weekend, with Sarah Calkin ruled out with concussion.
Former first-class players Sarah Norman and Sian Ruck will fill in today and tomorrow, respectively.
The New Plymouth Power will be captained by White Ferns batswoman Natalie Dodd and are made up mainly of Taranaki players, including Hinds batswoman Emily Cunningham.
Hinds captain Anlo van Deventer leads the Tararua Kotahi and they also have Hinds Melissa Hansen and Monique Rees.
Former White Ferns all-rounder Jess Watkin leads the Coastal Challengers and they also have Hinds Mikaela Greig, Esther Lanser and Kerry Tomlinson.
The next round of the competition is in Levin in February, with four Twenty20 matches.