Photo Credit: New Zealand Cricket
New Zealand’s six Major Associations have today announced their women’s Domestic contract lists for the 2023/24 summer.
For the first time, Major Associations can now offer an additional 13th player to their contract list opening up six more opportunities for top female players across the country.
Movements
Central Hinds gain valuable international experience in dynamic batting allrounder Thamsyn Newton as she departs with the Blaze after more than a decade in total. Newton was the Blaze’s third-highest run-scorer throughout their 22/23 Dream11 Super Smash campaign and will fill the space in the Hinds batting lineup left by Jess Watkin upon her departure to Northern Districts.
Watkin also brings international experience to ND. Watkin was the third-highest run-scorer in last season’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and will bolster Northern Districts’ challenge in this year’s 50-over competition.
Bowling allrounder Monique Rees is making the move down to the Blaze after six seasons with the Central Hinds. Joining Rees in the transfer from central to the capital is wicketkeeper-batter Gemma Sims who adds a valuable third option with the gloves for the Blaze.
Returning to Domestic contract lists this summer are Nensi Patel (Northern Districts) and Jess McFadyen (Wellington Blaze) after not receiving WHITE FERNS contracts for the 23/24 season.
Centrally contracted Maddy Green and Brooke Halliday confirmed in June that they will represent the Auckland Hearts for their Domestic cricket in the coming summer. Green returns to the Hearts after four seasons with the Blaze and Halliday is transferring after 11 seasons with Northern Districts.
New faces
Northern Districts have three new names on their contract list with Tash Wakelin, Yaz Kareem, and Eve Wolland.
Allrounder Wakelin wowed with her performances at this year’s ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup topping New Zealand’s wicket-taking tally.
After an unfortunate start to Kareem’s career for Northern Districts when she broke her finger on debut, the allrounder has been awarded her first contract after showing great form in off-season training.
17-year-old batswoman Wolland picks up her first contract after making her debut for Northern Districts last summer in both the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and Dream11 Super Smash competitions.
The Auckland Hearts have signed three promising young players Kate Irwin, Elizabeth Buchanan and Olivia Anderson.
Left-arm orthodox spinning all-rounder Irwin has been awarded her first Domestic contract after a whirlwind start to her professional career making her List A debut days after returning from the ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.
Anderson, who also represented New Zealand at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, is yet to make her debut for the Hearts but the motivated pace bowler receives her call-up after spending valuable time with the group ahead of her departure to the World Cup.
Buchanan signs with the Hearts after making her T20 debut last season, she adds a second wicketkeeping option to the Hearts arsenal after the retirement of Sarah Carnachan.
The Central Hinds have signed three new faces in Flora Devonshire, Emma McLeod, and Aniela Apperley whilst Kate Gaging returns to the Hinds contact list.
Bowling allrounder Devonshire is rewarded with her first Domestic contract after an exciting start to her professional career last season when she featured heavily across the Hinds Dream11 Super Smash and HBJ campaigns. The left-hander featured in a New Zealand Under-19 development tour to India last year and impressed Central Districts with her confidence throughout the Domestic season.
McLeod was New Zealand’s third-highest run-scorer at the Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup in January and received her List A cap for the Hinds the following month. The 17-year-old allrounder impressed on debut scoring a half-century against Canterbury.
Uncapped young pace bowler Apperley narrowly missed making her Hinds debut last season after unfortunate weather saw the matches she was in line for cancelled. Nevertheless, the right-armer has impressed Central Districts at U19s level and has been rewarded with her first professional contract for the upcoming season.
Wicketkeeper batter Gaging returns to the Hinds contract list after appearing for the Hinds in both formats last summer.
Hallyburton Johnstone Shield defending champions Wellington Blaze have signed two new faces in Hannah Francis and Phoenix Williams.
17-year-old Francis debuted for the Blaze in the 22/23 season after making her way through Cricket Wellington Pathways programmes. The allrounder is an exciting young prospect for the Blaze who earned her first professional contract off the back of noteworthy performances for Wellington A and Wellington Under-19 at the National Tournament featuring in the winning Wellington side.
After taking time away from cricket to become a new Mum, Phoenix Williams propelled herself back into the game playing men’s club cricket and indoor cricket with performances that saw her worthy of receiving her first professional contract. Williams is a medium-pace bowler who can also contribute with the bat and will look to showcase her skills for the first time on the domestic scene.
The reigning Super Smash champions Canterbury Magicians have added three new names to their roster Jodie Dean, Abigail Hotton and Emma Irwin.
Bowling allrounder Dean has played sparingly for the Magicians over the last four seasons and has been rewarded with her first contract after putting in a lot of hard work over the years and showing gutsy resilience after a challenging injury.
Hotton and Irwin receive their first Domestic contracts after representing New Zealand at the Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Hotton debuted for the Magicians after her appearance at the World Cup and has excited Canterbury selectors with her off-spin skills.
Right-hand batswoman Emma Irwin, older sister of Auckland Heart Kate Irwin, is making the move down south to secure her first professional contract after making her List A debut with the Hearts last summer.
The Otago Sparks have signed three promising bowlers in PJ Watkins, Louisa Kotkamp and Chloe Deerness.
Motivated 19-year-old Watkins relocated from the UK where she had recently been progressing through the regional Southern Vipers Academy. Watkins arrived on New Zealand’s shores with the desire to play domestic and international cricket. The Otago Sparks have offered the left-arm pace bowling allrounder her first professional contract and the opportunity to impress on the New Zealand cricket scene.
Local right-arm pace bowler Louisa Kotkamp lands her first professional contract after making her way through the Otago Cricket Pathways programme and representing New Zealand at this year’s ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.
Another product of the Otago Cricket Pathways programme is right-arm off-spinner Chloe Deerness who picks up her first contract off the back of receiving the Otago Sparks Rising Star Award last season. Deerness impressed throughout the Sparks’ 22/23 HBJ campaign and her style has been likened to fellow Sparks teammate and WHITE FERN Eden Carson.
2023/2024 Domestic contracts
Northern Districts
Carol Agafili, Sam Barriball, Lucy Boucher, Marama Downes, Caitlin Gurrey, Yaz Kareem, Shriva Naidu, Nensi Patel, Holly Topp, Tash Wakelin, Jess Watkin, Eve Wolland, Kayley Knight
Hearts
Olivia Anderson, Bella Armstrong, Skye Bowden, Anna Browning, Elizabeth Buchanan, Prue Catton, Amie Hucker, Breearne Illing, Kate Irwin, Amberly Parr, Josie Penfold, Saachi Shahri, Makayla Templeton
Central Hinds
Aniela Apperley, Georgia Atkinson, Ocean Bartlett, Flora Devonshire, Natalie Dodd, Kate Gaging, Claudia Green, Mikaela Greig, Melissa Hansen, Ashtuti Kumar, Emma McLeod, Thamsyn Newton, Kerry Tomlinson
Wellington Blaze
Nicole Baird, Rebecca Burns, Kate Chandler, Natasha Codyre, Hannah Francis, Antonia Hamilton, Xara Jetly, Leigh Kasperek, Caitlin King, Jess McFadyen, Monique Rees, Gemma Sims, Phoenix Williams
Canterbury Magicians
Sarah Asmussen, Melissa Banks, Natalie Cox, Jodie Dean, Abigale Gerken, Abigail Hotton, Laura Hughes, Emma Irwin, Frances Mackay, Jacinta Savage, Isobel Sharp, Jess Simmons, Gabby Sullivan
Otago Sparks
Gemma Adams, Emma Black, Caitlin Blakely, Chloe Deerness, Olivia Gain, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Louisa Kotkamp, Felicity Leydon-Davis, Paige Loggenberg, Molly Loe, Sophie Oldershaw, PJ Watkins
WHITE FERNS
Kate Anderson (Canterbury Magicians), Suzie Bates (Otago Sparks), Bernadine Bezuidenhout (Northern Districts), Eden Carson (Otago Sparks), Sophie Devine (Wellington Blaze), Izzy Gaze (Auckland Hearts), Maddy Green (Auckland Hearts), Brooke Halliday (Auckland Hearts), Hayley Jensen (Otago Sparks), Fran Jonas (Auckland Hearts), Melie Kerr (Wellington Blaze), Jess Kerr (Wellington Blaze), Rosemary Mair (Central Hinds), Molly Penfold (Auckland Hearts), Georgia Plimmer (Wellington Blaze), Hannah Rowe (Central Hinds), Lea Tahuhu (Canterbury Magicians)
