England, White Ferns stars may miss part of series

A handful of England women stars will skip a third of their upcoming series against the White Ferns as another domestic Twenty20 competition takes precedence over international cricket.

Three of New Zealand’s leading players may also miss the start of the white-ball series due to commitments to the Women’s

Premier League in India.

That follows South Africa’s recently completed test series against the Black Caps, when the Proteas fielded a second-string squad after Cricket South Africa told its best players that the domestic men’s T20 competition – which clashed with the preparation for the tour to New Zealand – was their priority.

New Zealand won the series 2-0 to give them their maiden test series victory over

South Africa in 17 attempts.

Now the best England women’s players are set to miss at least three T20 internationals at the start of the series, which consists of five T20s and three ODIs.

Star allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt admitted the riches of the WPL – she was drafted for NZ$650,000 at last year’s inaugural auction – played a part in dictating who she would play for.

“Yeah, I mean, I would be lying no,’’ Sciver-Brunt said on ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast this week. “Having gone for that much in the first year, yeah, it certainly came into consideration.’’

Sciver-Brunt and England team-mates Sophie Ecclestone, Danni Wyatt and Alice Capsey won’t be part of the tour of New Zealand until the fourth game of the T20 series near the end of March.

Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu are the three White Ferns involved in the WPL, which starts this weekend and finishes on March 24. The T20 series between New Zealand and England begins in Dunedin on March 19.

“Hopefully this weigh-up of club versus country doesn’t happen again,’’ Sciver-Brunt said. “I know we’ve seen it happen with the men’s side of things and continue to happen for quite a while, and still will.

“Hopefully these clashes don’t happen in the future.’’