Central Hind and WHITE FERN HANNAH ROWE says her side is keeping eyes focused forward as they get ready for their biggest match yet, after a dream unbeaten start to their Dream11 Super Smash season.

The Hinds have been the surprise package of the summer, shaking off their cellar dweller mantle of recent seasons to be the only remaining undefeated team in either the men’s or women’s league at the midway mark of the national T20 competition.

Tomorrow evening, under the lights of Napier’s McLean Park, they begin their second half of the campaign holding a two-point margin over Melie Kerr’s strong Wellington Blaze - whom they will meet in the sixth round, the first game under lights for female Domestic teams at the venue and a top of the table clash to boot.

“It’s not something the girls are really used to, being top of the table,” says allrounder Rowe. 

“We know we’ve got a lot of really challenging games coming up, as well. 

Hannah Rowe PHOTOSPORT

"Tomorrow against Wellington Blaze and then Wednesday against the Otago Sparks [at 2PM] are both huge games for us, so we’re certainly not getting too far ahead of ourselves.

“But it’s a very nice position to be in.”

The big question is how? What’s got into the Hinds, who won just one match at the end of last summer and haven’t had their hands on the national trophy since 2010 in the format that’s long been considered the weak point, winning far more regularly in the one-day competition.

"I think we’ve just been building a lot of depth,” muses Rowe, "and it’s gotten to the point where everyone in our team, no matter where they’re batting in the line-up or when they’re coming on to bowl, is really standing up and owning their own position. 

“If someone doesn’t fire on any given day, you know the next person is capable and ready to stand up.

"We’ve had young players like [20-year-old pace Manawatū bowler turned off-spinner] ASHTUTI KUMAR really step up for us through the middle with the ball, and it’s been cool watching her really come into her own.

“Other players like [20-year-old Hawke’s Bay left-hand batter - normally a top order player] FLORA DEVONSHIRE are batting number nine and making sure we finish the innings really strongly. 

Tomorrow will not only be the first time for the Hinds in the floodlights at their Hawke’s Bay stadium, but a potential milestone match for their skipper NATALIE DODD.

The precision top-order batter will be heading in with 1,201 T20 runs for the Hinds since joining the team in 2019/19) needs just nine more runs to overtake another former WHITE FERN and Central Hinds captain Jess Watkin as the team’s all-time leading T20 run-scorer, with Watkin now representing Northern Brave. 

The Hinds will be fizzing just to run out onto a cricket ground again on a fine summer’s evening after two their last three scheduled matches, against the Auckland Hearts in New Plymouth and the Canterbury Magicians in Christchurch two days ago, were both washed out without a toss made.

The run of bad weather also affected the Stags who are under more urgency to scramble back up the points table as a result, having won just one of their five scheduled games so far and now sitting in fifth spot on their table.

They’ll be up against the top of the table Wellington Firebirds tomorrow, a team sporting BLACKCAPS Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway and Kiwi Dutch international Logan van Beek, while the Stags have Will Young, Ajaz Patel, Blair Tickner, Dane Cleaver, Josh Clarkson and Doug Bracewell among their current and recent BLACKCAPS representatives.

Gates open at 1.30PM both tomorrow (8 January) and on Wednesday 10 January, when the Hinds will play Suzie Bates’s Otago Sparks from 2PM and the Stags will play the Volts under lights from 5.30PM. Tickets are available at the gate and from www.cdcricket.co.nz 

ROUND 6 • McLEAN PARK, NAPIER

Central Stags and Central Hinds

versus

Wellington Firebirds and Blaze

8 January 2024

FULL SCHEDULE

CENTRAL HINDS

Natalie Dodd — captain, wicketkeeper, Taranaki

Hannah Rowe — vice-captain, Manawatū 

Hollie Armitage — Overseas Player

Georgia Atkinson — Wairarapa

Priyanaz Chatterji — (Nelson) Overseas Player

Flora Devonshire — Hawke’s Bay

Claudia Green — Nelson

Mikaela Greig  — Manawatū 

Ashtuti Kumar — Manawatū

Rosemary Mair — Hawke’s Bay

Thamsyn Newton — Hawke’s Bay

Kerry Tomlinson — Hawke’s Bay

• Head Coach — Jacob Oram

• Assistant Coach — Deepak Joon

CENTRAL STAGS

Tom Bruce — captain, Taranaki

Dane Cleaver — vice-captain, wicketkeeper, Manawatū

Doug Bracewell — Hawke’s Bay

Will Clark — Hawke’s Bay

Josh Clarkson — Nelson

Joey Field — Hawke’s Bay

Jayden Lennox — Hawke’s Bay

Ajaz Patel — Hawke’s Bay

Bevan Small — Manawatū 

Blair Tickner — Hawke’s Bay

Will Young — Taranaki

Bayley Wiggins — Hawke’s Bay

• Head Coach —  Ben F. Smith

• Assistant Coach — Glenn Pocknall

Contracted players unavailable for selection

Brett Randell - injury

Article added: Sunday 7 January 2024