Six Central Districts representatives, including four CENTRAL HINDS, have been named in NZC's first ever Wāhine Māori team selected to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at this month's new Pacific Cup.

The T20 tournament against Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu will take place at Pakuranga's Lloyd Elsmore Park in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, with the action starting Wednesday next week with pool play and culminating in the inaugural final on Sunday week.

All six CD cricketers named in the side were members of the ground-breaking CD WĀHINE MĀORI team that lifted NZC's inaugural national Māori trophy for women in Heretaunga Hastings at the start of this season.

GEORGIA ATKINSON was captain of CD Māori on that occasion with KERRY TOMLINSON player-coach. Now longtime female Māori advocate Tomlinson will step up to captain the inaugural female national side with former WHITE FERN Maia Lewis named as coach.

Joining Tomlinson from CD Māori is Atkinson, OCEAN BARTLETT, SAM MACKINDER, OLIVIA CLARK, and MACY LYFORD in the 22-player national squad – the first senior NZ Māori representative cricket team since an Aotearoa Māori men’s team was selected to take part in the Pacifica Cup way back in 2001 (featuring a young JESSE RYDER and PETER McGLASHAN at the outset of their careers).

Each game on the main ground during this month's tournament will be broadcast on TVNZ+ using a three-camera set-up with full commentary, replays and graphics.

Lewis said she was looking forward to working with the first ever Aotearoa Māori women’s squad, which she described as an exciting mix of youth and experience.

“There’s a lot of natural talent and flair in the side, a lot of potential, and most encouragingly, a lot more depth to pick this side from.

“When I coached the first Aotearoa Māori Secondary Schoolgirls team a few years ago, it was more a matter of taking what we could get – but since then, things have massively improved and the depth has increased markedly.”

Captain Tomlinson (centre) with vice-captains Jess McFadyen & Skye Bowden | CDCA

Lewis said the Pacific Cup is as much of a cultural event as a cricket event, with the Māori side performing a haka before each game.

“It’s about learning more about our culture through cricket, and that’s a very worthy motivation.

“Some of the players in our squad speak Māori fluently, others have never even been on a marae before – but I can say that everyone is very open to learning.

The tournament will be officially opened with a pōwhiri on Tuesday, 16 January 2024.

All matches will be live scored on www.nzc.nz and PlayHQ. 

Aotearoa Māori Squad

Kerry Tomlinson – captain, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou

Skye Bowden – vice-captain Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine

Jess McFadyen – vice-captain, Ngāi Tahu

Dayle Anderson – Tainui

Georgia Atkinson – Ngāti Kahungunu

Nicole Baird – Ngāti Ruanui

Sam Barriball – Ngāti Rangitihi, Tūhoe

Ocean Bartlett – Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou

Jessica Benge – Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi

Eden Carson - Ngāti Porou

Olivia Clark - Ngāi Tahu

Claire Crooks - Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Hine

Marama Downes – Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Awa, Te Arawa

Mollie Drumm - Ngāti Porou

Mereana Hyde - Ngāpuhi, Tainui

Caitlin King - Ngāti Tūwharetoa

Macy Lyford – Ngāti Kahungunu

Sam Mackinder - Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou

Emma Parker - Ngāpuhi

Jess Smith - Ngāpuhi, Tainui

Anika Todd – Ngāti Whātua

Holly Topp - Ngāi Tahu 

PACIFIC CUP SCHEDULE

Lloyd Elsmore Park, Pakuranga, Tāmaki Makarau Auckland

Wednesday 17 January

10.30AM

Aotearoa Māori v Papua New Guinea, Lloyd Elsmore Park 1  TVNZ+

Cook Islands v Samoa, Lloyd Elsmore Park 2

Fiji v Vanuatu, Lloyd Elsmore Park 3

3PM

Cook Islands v Fiji, Lloyd Elsmore Park 1 TVNZ+

Aotearoa Māori v Vanuatu, Lloyd Elsmore Park 2

Samoa v Papua New Guinea, Lloyd Elsmore Park 3

Thursday 18 January

3PM

Vanuatu v Samoa, Lloyd Elsmore Park 1 TVNZ+

Papua New Guinea v Cook Islands, Lloyd Elsmore Park 2

Aotearoa Māori v Fiji, Lloyd Elsmore Park 3

Friday 19 January

10.30AM

Papua New Guinea v Vanuatu, Lloyd Elsmore Park 1 TVNZ+

Fiji v Samoa, Lloyd Elsmore Park 2

Aotearoa Māori v Cook Islands, Lloyd Elsmore Park 3

3PM

Cook Islands v Vanuatu, Lloyd Elsmore Park 1 TVNZ+

Samoa v Aotearoa Māori, Lloyd Elsmore Park 2

Papua New Guinea v Fiji, Lloyd Elsmore Park 3

Sunday 21 January

10.30AM

3 v 4 playoff, Lloyd Elsmore Park 1

5 v 6 playoff, Lloyd Elsmore Park 2

Grand Final (1 v 2n, Lloyd Elsmore Park 1 TVNZ+

Article added: Thursday 11 January 2024