MIKAELA GREIG TO CAPTAIN HINDS
The CENTRAL HINDS are officially back in action this weekend, starting a fresh season of Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and Domestic cricket under a new captain — MIKAELA GREIG
Greig was the Hinds' Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Player of the Year last summer, and takes over the one-day reins from NATALIE DODD who is unavailable this season with the impending birth of her first child.
Captaincy is a new trend for Greig who led New Zealand A Women to a 2-1 One-Day series win against England A at the tail of last summer, and also captained Central Districts A Women earlier this month.
The New Zealand A experience was not only the first time she had captained an elite rep team, but also her first appearance as a player for any national-level NZ team — and, in the middle of that, she also received her first tap on the shoulder from the WHITE FERNS, and made her full T20 International debut against England.
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Last season was one of her best, producing career highs with the bat in both the one-day and T20 formats, as well as a slew of personal landmarks.
It all fired her up to keep playing, after having toyed with the idea of retiring a couple of seasons ago.
The 29-year-old Manawatū rep is now in her 12th season for the Hinds, the team she’s proudly played for since she was a teenager fresh out of Levin’s Waiopehu College.
She produced her top List A score of 84 twice, last season: an unbeaten effort for the Hinds in the ‘HBJ’, then matching it while batting at four in a crunch 133-run win for NZ A.
Once better known for ability to hit a big boundary than to construct a big innings, Greig’s also now hit five one-day half centuries — all of them in the last three summers, with 1,000 List A runs now in the bank as well, after 82 one-dayers all up.
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The good form bounces off a decision to really take ownership for her team’s fortunes, after shifting up from the lower order. To be the person to stand up and win it, take any game situation on.
So the additional role of captaincy comes at a good point in time.
“I was a little bit taken aback to be asked, to be honest, having never captained the Hinds before,” Greig says, “but I’m definitely excited.
“It’s an opportunity for me to extend myself, to think more critically about the game in order to make on-field decisions — that will hopefully take my personal game and understanding to the next level, as well.”
She’s also looking forward to helping to continue the new culture within the team that resulted in an impressive 2023/24 season.
“The things that we are talking about as players now, the language we use as a team, the direction in which we are all heading together is really cool,” says Greig.
“And for myself, that’s been a little bit of a personal change — a good one, in terms of the language and body language that I use, and the way that I see the game.
“I’ve worked hard on my mental skills over the past couple of years, so captaincy is now another opportunity and privilege for me to continue that, and keep thinking about how I set that tone with my mindset.
“How I take the lead, how to lead by example for other players in what we are about as a team, on and off the field. It’s a little bit nerve-wracking, I’ll be honest, a big responsibility - but one I am up for.”
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The opening weekend of action is coming up on Saturday at the Cello Basin Reserve, home of the Wellington Blaze, runners-up to the Otago Sparks in last year’s national Final.
It will be a good contest to start the 10-round one-day competition, with round two on Sunday hot on the heels at the same location, and Saturday’s match doubling as the special annual fixture between these two teams for the Viv Stephens Memorial Trophy.
The Central Hinds’ first squad of the 2024/25 Domestic season will be named tomorrow, and Greig says they can’t wait for the buzz of all being back together again.
“We’ve got an exciting squad of both experienced and newbie players in the Hinds now, a really nice balance there.
“I think we’re in a good space for another very enjoyable season.”
Article added: Thursday 14 November 2024
