OCEAN BARTLETT and KATE GAGING are set to make their first appearances in NZC's annual NORTH v SOUTH women's series - now into its third season.

Nelson and CENTRAL HINDS wicketkeeper-batter Gaging will be crossing the Cook Strait loyalty line for the occasion, however, with the selectors having already earmarked WHITE FERNS and Otago Sparks keeper Polly Inglis for the South Island team - and keen to have a further look at Gaging, after her impressive performances behind the stumps this summer.

KATE GAGING and OCEAN BARTLETT | Photosport

Gaging and Bartlett are joined by FLORA DEVONSHIRE, HANNAH ROWE and EMMA McLEOD in the North Island team, with the latter trio all having represented the national side this summer and the North having claimed the bragging rights from both the previous editions.

Fellow WHITE FERN and Hinds pace star ROSEMARY MAIR skips this season's Series after having worked her way back from injury earlier this year, with a change to both the format and the venue for this season - one-dayers replacing the T20 format of the past two summers, all livestreamed (available to watch free at www.cdcricket.co.nz) from Lincoln's Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

The action starts this Friday, 28 March at 10.30am - McLeod's 19th birthday, with the second and third matches on Sunday and Tuesday.

Gaging finished as one of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield's top two keepers this season, her 10 catches and one stumping second only to the WHITE FERNS' now injured regular keeper, Izzy Gaze who pouched 13 catches and made two stumpings for the Auckland Hearts.

Photosport

Gaging also took the most catches behind the stumps in the women's Dream11 Super Smash, together with a stumping in 2024/25.

While Gaging sneaks into the North Island squad this season, there's no room for South Island regular CLAUDIA GREEN in a South Island squad dominated by Hallyburton Johnstone Shield champions, the Otago Sparks.

 

 

North Island Squad:

Maddy Green (c) – Auckland

Ocean Bartlett - Central Districts

Flora Devonshire - Central Districts

Kate Gaging – Central Districts

Amie Hucker – Auckland

Bree Illing – Auckland

Jess Kerr – Wellington

Emma McLeod - Central Districts

Nensi Patel - Northern Districts

Josie Penfold – Auckland

Hannah Rowe - Central Districts

Saachi Shahri – Auckland

Jess Watkin - Northern Districts

Eve Wolland - Northern Districts

 

Head Coach: Rhys Morgan

Assistant Coach: Justine Dunce

 

South Island Squad:

Hayley Jensen (c) – Otago

Sarah Asmussen – Canterbury

Missy Banks – Canterbury

Emma Black – Otago

Caitlin Blakely – Otago

Anna Browning – Otago*

Eden Carson – Otago

Olivia Gain – Otago

Polly Inglis – Otago

Bella James – Otago

Louisa Kotkamp – Otago*

Izzy Sharp – Canterbury

Jess Simmons – Canterbury

PJ Watkins – Otago

 

Head Coach: Donovan Grobbelaar

Assistant Coach: Emily Drumm 

 

Unavailable for selection

Sophie Devine, Melie Kerr, Suzie Bates: NZC-assigned rest

Brooke Halliday, Georgia Plimmer, Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu: NZC-assigned rest: injury management

Molly Penfold, Izzy Gaze: injury

Article added: Thursday 27 March 2025