CENTRAL HINDS Player of the Year JESS WATKIN has retained her NZC Development Contract for the 2020/21 season, after NZC announced the list of new season recipients today.

Watkin has a firm grip on her national-level Development contract after another great summer for the Hinds with both bat and ball, the young Whanganui talent working hard to reclaim a spot in the WHITE FERNS.

She is among eight promising women’s players to have signed Development Contracts for the coming 2020/21 season, a list that features six new names.

It’s just the second season that NZC has offered the Development Contracts, investing in the women's game which is on a continued rise both Domestically and globally.

Part of NZC's criteria for selecting the list is that the players must have the potential to become NZC Contracted Players in future.

Fellow Central Hind, wicketkeeper-batsman NATALIE DODD, was named alongside Watkin in the inaugural intake last year, and was recently elevated to the WHITE FERNS contracted group, joining ROSEMARY MAIR and HANNAH ROWE.

Watkin is currently with the WHITE FERNS training camp group at Bay Oval this week, and will join up with the rest of the Central Hinds in Palmerston North this Saturday for the team's 24-hour fundraiser for the Mental Health Foundation, the Central Hinds 24 Hour Slog.

NZC Head of Women’s High Performance, Ant Sharp, said the NZC Development Contracts are a continuation of the strong commitment NZC is making to the women’s game. 

“It’s exciting to see a new wave of women’s cricketers coming through our Major Association system,” he said.

“These contracts are about giving up-and-coming female cricketers a chance to develop their games by utilising the best coaching resources in the country.” 

NZC DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTS

Season: 2020/21

JESS WATKIN - Central Hinds (retained)

Bella Armstrong - Auckland Hearts (new)

Skye Bowden - Auckland Hearts (retained)

Fran Jonas - Auckland Hearts (new)

Rebecca Burns - Wellington Blaze (new)

Eden Carson - Otago Sparks (new)

Katie Gurrey - Northern Spirit (new)

Jacinta Savage - Canterbury Magicians (new)

Article added: Tuesday 18 August 2020