Long wait at last ends for White Ferns
The White Ferns are set to play for the first time in almost a year today, with one eye on a World Cup that starts in February, and one eye on a World Cup that starts a year from now.
Their 329-day wait for a fixture is not the longest a New Zealand sports team has had to suffer in recent times, as the All Whites’ 525-day stretch from June 2018 to November last year still takes the cake.
While it’s certainly a longer break than is ideal, it has left the playing group refreshed, ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia that starts in four weeks, and the one-day World Cup on home soil next summer.
South Africa are their opponents over the next two weeks, first in three ODIs, starting today at Eden Park Outer Oval, then in five Twenty20s, starting next Sunday at University of Otago Oval in Dunedin.
After that, the White Ferns are off across the Tasman, with a pair of warmup matches scheduled before they begin their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on February 22.
With the game’s shorter format the immediate focus – and their failure to even make the semifinals last time out, in 2018, fresh in their minds – the ODIs against South Africa are a chance for the team to get used to the dynamic of international play once more.
They have a new coach in Bob Carter (who temporarily took charge against Australia at the end of last summer, with Haidee Tiffen stepping aside ahead of the end of her contract) and a new captain in Sophie Devine, taking over from Amy Satterthwaite who stepped back from cricket to have her first child.
‘‘It’s just good to come back to play again, after an 11-month break,’’ Carter said this week.
‘‘We have to make the most of these first three games – we can use it a little bit for T20 prep, but not very much.
‘‘We’ll be looking at the bigger picture for the 2021 World Cup as well, and giving some girls the opportunity to really show how they can move forward.’’
One player who should get the chance to show what she’s got is Wellington Blaze seamer Jess Kerr – the older sister of established Ferns leg-spinner Amelia – who is in line to make her international debut if called upon.
Jess Kerr earned her callup on the back of her form with the Blaze in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (seven wickets at 31) and the Super Smash (20 wickets at 10) and Carter was excited to see what she could offer.
‘‘Jess has been great in the HBJ, she’s taken a number of wickets and been one of the leading wickettakers in that tournament as a bowler and that’s how she’s earned her place.
‘‘She’s bowled with good pace, she’s had good energy in the field as a fielder, I haven’t seen too much of her with the bat – a bit last season, but not this season because Wellington have been very strong.’’
The White Ferns have disappointed in missing the semifinals at their last two major events – the 2017 one-day World Cup and the 2018 Twenty20 World Cup – and Carter said they were eager to get back on the horse.
‘‘They are very excited and they are hungry. The girls love to practice.
‘‘[On Tuesday night] we had a practice at Parnell Cricket Club fielding-wise and they went at it full on and it was really great to see.
‘‘We’re looking to improve and we’ve got a lot of work to do in all the areas of the game.
‘‘We’re under no illusions that we’re chasing a number of teams, but we’ve got to try and prepare ourselves the best we can.
‘‘Firstly for this series, then for the T20 series and the World Cup.’’
The ODI series is part of the 2017-20 ICC Women’s Championship and holds plenty of importance for South Africa, as the top four teams (and the White Ferns, as hosts) qualify directly for next year’s World Cup.
The visitors currently sit fifth, level on points with fourth-placed Pakistan, while the White Ferns are sixth in the eight-team competition.