This weekend sees our Central Hinds begin the 2026/27 national Hallyburton Johnstone Shield with two huge games in Palmerston North.

Both of the free admission one-day fixtures are against new defending champion Northern Districts and, while the two teams have already crossed swords in a warm-up one-dayer in Taupō - Northern with the bragging rights, it's a whole new ball game at Fitzherbert Park tomorrow.

The Hinds have named a strong squad under captain Hannah Rowe who is poised to overtake Sara McGlashan as the team's second most capped one-day player with her 110th appearance.

Rowe is accompanied by fellow WHITE FERNS Flora Devonshire, Emma McLeod and Rosemary Mair. 

Georgia Atkinson meanwhile brings a ton of preseason form with her to Palmy.

Atkinson scored heavily for CD Māori Wāhine (captaining the team to a third successive taonga at nationals and finished as the T20 tournament's top run-scorer), then top-scored for the Hinds across the three Taupō warm-ups.

 

 

 

The experienced opener then celebrated a century in the opening round of the Copelin Cup for Wairarapa last weekend.

The Hinds will also have a potential debutante, albeit one who is very familiar with the Northern Districts line-up.

Left-handed batter Yaz Kareem was part of the Northern Districts playing XI that won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield in last summer's Final against the Wellington Blaze at the Cello Basin Reserve, but accepted a contract with Central Districts over the winter.

The 27-year-old's inclusion in the first Hinds squad of this season opens up the tantalising possibility of two left-handers batting in the same XI, in tandem with Devonshire.

It's otherwise a familiar line-up from coach Deepak Joon with last summer's breakthrough star, spinner Elizabeth Cohr (injured) the only notable absentee.

 

 

The Hinds have an ideal run of six home matches to start the season and take them through to the start of the Super Smash (27 December in Palmerston North).

After this weekend's opening matches against ND, the Hinds host the Otago Sparks in two weeks' time at New Plymouth's Pukekura Park, then return to Fitzherbert Park in Palmy on 12 and 13 December to host the Canterbury Magicians.

Catch all the action for free at the ground or follow it with our free livestreams, every game, here at www.cdcricket.co.nz

First ball tomorrow is 10.30am with the toss news expected at 10am.

Across at nearby Manawaroa Park, Central Districts A Women will also get their season underway with the first of three fixtures (T20) against Northern Districts A this weekend.

 

 

 

2026/27

ROUNDS 1 + 2

 

10.30am • Saturday, 14 November 2026

10.30am • Sunday, 15 November 2026

 

Central Hinds v Northern Districts

Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North

 

FREE ADMISSION - EVERY MATCH

 

Hannah Rowe — captain, Manawatū 

Aniela Apperley — Hawke's Bay

Georgia Atkinson — Wairarapa

Flora Devonshire — Hawke's Bay

Kate Gaging — wicketkeeper, Nelson

Yasmeen (Yaz) Kareem — Taranaki

Ashtuti Kumar — Manawatū

Emma McLeod —  Wairarapa

Rosemary Mair — Hawke's Bay

Jess Ogden — Manawatū 

Cate Pedersen — Hawke's Bay

Kerry Tomlinson — Taranaki

 

 

Article added: Friday 13 November 2026