The Central Hinds have named a squad of 13 for this Saturday’s national one-day Grand Final at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, with WHITE FERNS Hannah Rowe and Rosemary Mair set to strengthen the bowling attack in a title showdown with the Auckland Hearts.

Top qualifiers the Central Hinds secured a home Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final without the services of their two international stars who have since returned to New Zealand from the Rose Bowl Series in Australia — to a squad that meanwhile made a record breaking finish to the regular season.

The defending champion Auckland Hearts will likewise have all their big names back for the free admission Grand Final, including captain Maddy Green, veteran Katie Perkins and opening batsman Lauren Down.

Both teams will take a strong 8/2 win-loss record from the regular season into the one-off Grand Final, with the Hearts one of only two teams to have defeated the Hinds this summer, and the Hinds one of the only two teams to have beaten the Hearts, when the teams clashed head-to-head at Auckland’s Melville Park in mid-February.

The Central Hinds last won a national title in the 2009/10 season, when the Hinds won both the T20 and one-day silverware under former WHITE FERNS captain Aimee Watkins — whose husband, former Taranaki representative Jamie, is the team’s present coach. Aimee Watkins lifted the one-day trophy at Napier’s Nelson Park after rain washed out that summer’s Final, with no play having been possible against Wellington Blaze. Esther Lanser is the only member of that summer’s championship-winning squad to have also featured in 2018/19; and this is the first time since 2009/10 that the Hinds have qualified for a national Final, let alone hosted one.

The veteran of the Hinds squad at 35, Wairarapa allrounder Lanser is unavailable for the Grand Final due to prior commitments. Even without Lanser’s Finals day experience, Head Coach Watkins has named a strong Hinds squad, led by the new holder of the highest score in the team’s history (169 not out, in the last match), Anlo van Deventer. Manawatū allrounder Rowe is the most experienced player in the format with 60 one-day domestic caps and returns as vice-captain.

Van Deventer says that her side will not be underestimating the challenge posed by the Hearts, who have won the one-day crown three times in the last four seasons.

“Many of the Hearts will be bringing their Finals experience to Pukekura Park whereas for our side, Finals pressure and a home Final at this level is going to be something that is new. We have done the job to get here, however, and shown that we are a good one-day side. If we can stick to our plans and perform our roles the way we have been, we will give ourselves our best chance against another very good side.”

Natalie Dodd will head into the Grand Final having produced one of her most consistent summers with the bat, after moving from Northern Spirit to the Hinds for a fresh start this season. Dodd, who opens the batting, has scored two centuries and two half centuries, topping the run charts nationally with 604 runs from 10 innings at the season’s top average of 120.80. The 26-year-old teacher’s most prolific season to date has been 2012/13 when she produced 692 runs from 10 matches, including four centuries and two half centuries, for Northern Spirit.

Van Deventer is meanwhile averaging 90.80 after having scored the first two one-day centuries of her career, along with three half centuries, in a dream one-day summer for the skipper,

Hawke’s Bay rising pace star Rosemary Mair meanwhile returns with 15 wickets from eight matches at a bowling average of 15.33, ranking her second equal alongside Auckland Hearts pace ace Holly Huddleston (15 wickets from eight matches at 16.13), continuing their rivalry into the last match of the season. Blaze legspinner Deanna Doughty finished with 21 wickets at 13.42.

While rain is forecast in New Plymouth tomorrow, the forecast improves for Saturday to a chance of an early shower, then fine weather and southeast breezes. There is no reserve day for the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Grand Final, therefore, in the unlikely event of a match not being possible on Saturday, the Hinds as top qualifier would become the new champion.

The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Grand Final coincides with this weekend’s Taranaki Cricket Jubilee celebrations with the host Districts Association celebrating 125 years of cricket in Taranaki.

The 2019 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Grand Final will be live-scored at www.nzc.nz from 10.30am on Saturday.

CENTRAL HINDS

2019 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Grand Final v Auckland Hearts

10.30am | Saturday 9 March 2019

Pukekura Park, New Plymouth

FREE ADMISSION

ANLO van Deventer (captain) — Wairarapa

HANNAH Rowe (vice-captain) — Manawatū

GEORGIA Atkinson — Wairarapa

KATE Baxter — Taranaki

EMILY Cunningham — Taranaki

NATALIE Dodd (wicketkeeper) — Taranaki

CLAUDIA Green — Nelson

MIKAELA Greig — Manawatū

MELISSA Hansen — Wairarapa

TAILA Hurley — Taranaki

ROSEMARY Mair — Hawke’s Bay

KERRY Tomlinson — Wairarapa

JESS Watkin — Whanganui

Article added: Thursday 07 March 2019