WHITE FERN Hannah Rowe will make her Central Hinds captaincy debut this Friday when the Central women host a rare fixture against a touring International team.

The 22-year-old has been named to lead the Hinds against India Women in a one-day match to be played at Napier’s Nelson Park.

Rowe says the match will be a stimulating opportunity for the Central Hinds, one of the best performed one-day teams this summer and second on the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield points table with just four rounds to go before the 2018/19 national final.

“It’s so exciting for us as a group to play a world-class side like India,” said Rowe. “The girls are well aware that it’s going to be a real challenge, and are excited to see how they go.

“Opportunities like this don’t come around very often, so to get the chance to play with and lead such an exciting group of young Hinds is awesome. It’s a real privilege to be involved in, let alone captain such a historical game for the Hinds.”

Manawatū allrounder Rowe was named vice-captain of the Central Hinds last summer and steps up into the shoes of regular skipper Anlo van Deventer who is unavailable due to work commitments.

Wairarapa’s Kerry Tomlinson and Taranaki’s Kate Baxter are also unavailable due to prior appointments as team manager and coach, respectively, of the CD U18 women’s side that will be in action in Wellington at their annual tournament.

Whanganui’s Jess Watkin has been named vice-captain of the Central Hinds for Friday’s fixture in Napier.

“It’s a scary feeling thinking of captaining against such a destructive side, but with the help of Jess Watkin and [CD U21 captain] Rosemary Mair I’m sure we will work out some good plans, and really look to challenge India as much as we can,” said Rowe.

The swing bowler has faced India in a one-day match just once before — a 186-run loss suffered by the WHITE FERNS in Derbyshire at the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup. Rowe also made her Twenty20 International debut against India in 2015, a six-wicket win to the WHITE FERNS in Bengaluru.

Friday’s bonus fixture forms a tour warm-up for India Women who are in camp training in Hawke’s Bay ahead of their upcoming three-ODI, three-T20 International Series against the WHITE FERNS — with the first ODI of that Series a televised day/night game under lights at Napier’s McLean Park at 2pm next Thursday, 24 January 2019.

The last time the Central Hinds had an opportunity to play a one-day match against an international team was just over 18 years ago in November 2000 — also at Napier’s Nelson Park where the team played two warm-up fixtures against The Netherlands during that summer’s build-up to the 2000 Cricinfo ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, held in New Zealand.

The last and only previous occasion on which the Central Hinds played India Women was meanwhile on 23 January 1982 — 14 and a half years before Rowe would be born in the same city: Palmerston North. A 60-over World Cup warm-up at Manawaroa Park, India won that one-off encounter by 52 runs thanks to five-wicket bag to leg-spinner Shubhangi Kulkarni, against a Hinds side that featured Jackie Clark, Elizabeth Signal, Penny Kinsella, Trudy Anderson and Viv Sexton — all contemporary or future WHITE FERNS.

This Friday’s fixture is the first opportunity since then for the Hinds to square the ledger, with the free admission game to start at 11am.

Rowe debuted for the Central Hinds in 2011/12 when she was still at Palmerston North Girls’ High School and has since played 58 one-day matches and 41 Twenty20 matches for the Central Hinds, and 17 One-Day Internationals and 15 Twenty20 Internationals for the WHITE FERNS. Rowe is the sole Central Hinds representative to have been named in the 13-strong WHITE FERNS ODI squad to play India in the upcoming tour.

CENTRAL HINDS v INDIA WOMEN

11am Friday, 18 January 2019

Nelson Park, Napier

Hannah Rowe — captain — Manawatū

Jess Watkin — vice-captain — Whanganui

Natalie Dodd — wicketkeeper — Taranaki

Esther Lanser — Wairarapa

Rosemary Mair — Napier

Mikaela Greig — Manawatū

Monique Rees — Wairarapa

Claudia Green — Nelson

Georgia Atkinson — Wairarapa

Melissa Hansen — Wairarapa

Taila Hurley — Taranaki

Emily Cunningham — Taranaki

Head Coach – Jamie Watkins — Taranaki

Article added: Wednesday 16 January 2019