Magicians skipper: We want bigger boundaries

Even after scoring 97, with the aid of 16 fours, Frankie Mackay still wants to see the boundaries in women’s cricket moved back.

The Canterbury Magicians captain was three short of her first T20 century yesterday, but, when asked after her innings about how the pitch was playing, she pivoted to say she remained frustrated by the position of the boundary rope.

‘‘I’m still going to say it, I’d like to see the boundaries a little bit bigger. I think it takes an element out of the game having people able to come in and run twos. You don’t see too much of that at the moment.

‘‘You see a lot of ones and fours, which is exciting for the game, but if we’re looking at really producing quality players I think we need them a wee bit bigger and it might make the bowlers a wee bit happier too.’’

The boundaries have been a jarring sight this season after New Zealand Cricket moved to staging doubleheaders of both the women’s and men’s Super Smash games on TV.

The women’s boundary rope has to be placed well inside the men’s, with officials, coaches and photographers walking around outside the rope, but inside the men’s boundary.

International Cricket Council rules state a women’s T20 boundary ‘‘shall be longer than 59.43 meters, and no shorter than 50.29m, from the centre of the pitch’’. The men’s boundaries ‘‘shall be longer than 82.29m, and no shorter than 59.43m, from the centre of the pitch’’.

At Hagley Oval, one of New Zealand’s bigger domestic cricket grounds, yesterday, there was a significant gap between the two boundaries because the full boundary reaches to about 75m.

White Fern Hannah Rowe cleared both the men’s and