WHITE FERNS SQUAD FOR SOUTH AFRICA NAMED
Fourteen of the 15 WHITE FERNS offered new contracts for the 2016-17 year have been named in the squad to tour South Africa in October.
Apart from middle-order batter Liz Perry, all those offered significantly-enhanced contracts under a new Memorandum of Understanding between New Zealand Cricket and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association have been included in the touring party.
Perry missed the cut after battling a shoulder injury over the winter months but is likely to be back in the frame for the WHITE FERNS summer schedule.
Features of the touring squad include the recall of top-order batter Sam Curtis and swing bowler Holly Huddleston.
WHITE FERNS coach Haidee Tiffen said both players had won selection after impressing with their work ethic over the off-season.
“They’ve worked hard for their recalls”, said Tiffen.
“Sam wasn’t selected at all last summer but offers us useful top-order batting and spin-bowling value, and Holly’s swing-bowling is something we see as beneficial to our goal of hitting the ground running at next year’s Women’s Cricket World Cup in England.”
The WHITE FERNS will play 18 ODIs (and just four T20s) between now and the start of the ICC Women’s Cricket World 2017 – something Tiffen said heavily influenced the decision not to select Sara McGlashan or Anna Peterson in the touring squad.
Neither player has been offered a contract for 2016-17.
“With the World Cup on the horizon, we’ve selected both the touring squad and those to be offered annual contracts on the basis of our ODI performance in particular, and in this regard, some players have clearly been unlucky.”
Tiffen described the squad as well balanced, including up to five spin-bowling options, many good pace variations, and a strong batting unit.
The WHITE FERNS will assemble for a pre-tour camp in Tauranga next month before heading to South Africa, where they will play seven ODIs – the first three of which will carry all-important ICC International Women’s Championship points.
WHITE FERNS squad: Suzie Bates (captain), Erin Bermingham, Sam Curtis, Sophie Devine, Holly Huddleston, Leigh Kasperek, Katey Martin, Thamsyn Newton, Morna Nielsen, Katie Perkins, Rachel Priest, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu.
Tour schedule – Sept 28-Oct 6: Pre-tour camp, Potchefstroom; Oct 8: 1st ODI, Kimberley; Oct 11: 2nd ODI, Kimberley; Oct 13: 3rd ODI, Kimberley; Oct 17: 4th ODI, Paarl; Oct 19: 5th ODI, Paarl; Oct 22: 6th ODI, Stellenbosch; Oct 24: 7th ODI, Paarl.
WHITE FERNS offered annual contracts for 2016-17: Suzie Bates (captain), Erin Bermingham, Sam Curtis, Sophie Devine, Holly Huddleston, Leigh Kasperek, Katey Martin, Thamsyn Newton, Morna Nielsen, Katie Perkins, Liz Perry, Rachel Priest, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu.
Article courtesy of New Zealand Cricket.