The CENTRAL HINDS have headed to Dunedin with qualification for the national one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Final in their sites.

Meanwhile, our next tier of female representatives have scored an opportunity to play on the Cello Basin Reserve in a CD A fixture against Wellington A this Sunday.

The Hinds have headed into the last two rounds of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield regular season in second spot on the table, and one win will seal the last available spot in the Final, coming up in just over a week's time.

But - unless all other results should happen to fall their way - they'll need to beat the runaway top qualifier, the Otago Sparks, on the southerners' home turf.

The Sparks have dropped just one game from their seven rounds and are already inked into the 1 March Final that will also be held on their home turf at University of Otago Oval.

 

 

The Hinds have won five matches and are coming off an outstanding last two rounds in New Plymouth that included a Hinds record chase, as they successfully hunted down 293 against Northern Districts.

It was also one of the two highest winning chases by any team in the history of the competition, featuring a career best from Flora Devonshire in the exciting finish.

Should things stay on track this Saturday and Sunday, we could be seeing a preview of Final over the comings days.

And, should the Hinds make it to that big dance, it will represent a phenomenal turnaround from their heartbreaking wooden spoon in this year's Dream11 Super Smash.

The squad remains without the services of star seamer ROSEMARY MAIR who continues to make her way back from injury, and neither is EMMA McLEOD available this weekend.

In comes experienced batter EMILY CUNNINGHAM in a squad of 13 selected for the weekend, joining uncapped Taranaki teammate GRACE FOREMAN in the mix.

A number of the Hinds' contracted players and wider squad will be in action for CD A WOMEN in Wellington on Sunday, with an exciting chance to play an A fixture against Wellington A at New Zealand's 'home of cricket', the Cello Basin Reserve.

Sunday's fixture will be followed by a CD XI one-dayer on Monday against Wellington's A team, this time at Barton Oval in Trentham, Upper Hutt.

The teams will be named on CD Cricket social media channels this weekend, with livescores for all games here at cdcricket.co.nz

ROUND 9 + 10

10.30AM • 22 + 23 February 2025

University of Otago Oval, Dunedin

versus

Otago Sparks

Mikaela Greig — captain, Manawatū

Georgia Atkinson — Wairarapa

Ocean Bartlett — Wairarapa

Emily Cunningham — Taranaki

Flora Devonshire — Hawke’s Bay

Grace Foreman (uncapped) — Taranaki

Kate Gaging — wicketkeeper, Nelson

Claudia Green — Nelson

Ashtuti Kumar — Manawatū

Thamsyn Newton — Hawke’s Bay

Jess Ogden — Manawatū

Hannah Rowe — Manawatū

Kerry Tomlinson — Hawke’s Bay

Head Coach: Deepak Joon

Contracted players unavailable for selection

Rosemary Mair (injury)

Emma McLeod

www.cdcricket.co.nz

Article added: Friday 21 February 2025