Greig earns callup to White Ferns squad
Manawatū and Central Hinds cricketer Mikaela Greig has been called into the White Ferns squad to play England in Dunedin today.
The all-rounder joins Georgia Plimmer as replacement players for Sophie Devine and Melie Kerr, who were unavailable for the series opener due to recent commitments in the Women’s Premier League in India.
Greig featured for New Zealand A in both of the recent twenty20 matches against England A in Queenstown, and would make her international debut if selected today.
White Ferns head coach Ben Sawyer said Greig was worthy of her callup.
“Mikaela has been impressive for the
Central Hinds all summer, and deserves an opportunity to join the group for the first time,” he said. “She’s shown this season that she possesses power and hitting ability, which are important qualities in T20 cricket, and we believe she has the ability to contribute if selected in the XI [today].”
Greig was striking at 107.76 in this summer’s Super Smash twenty20 competition, where the Central Hinds reached the finals for the first time in years.
She also had one of the highest batting averages nationally in this season’s one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, averaging 52 from six innings, with two half-centuries.
Plimmer and Greig will remain in Dunedin after today’s match and reassemble with the New Zealand A oneday squad on Thursday ahead of the first 50-over match against England A at University of Otago Oval on Saturday.
Devine and Kerr will reassemble with the White Ferns tomorrow ahead of the second twenty20 international against England at Nelson’s Saxton Oval on Friday.
Manawatū’s Hannah Rowe is also in the New Zealand squad.
White Ferns squad for first twenty20 versus England:
Suzie Bates (captain), Eden Carson, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Mikaela Greig, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.