Photo Credit: Canterbury Cricket
Former WHITE FERNS leg-spinner Erin Bermingham retired from all cricket in 2019. Or so she thought.
Today, the 35-year-old answered an SOS from her injury-hit old Domestic team, the Canterbury Magicians, and took 4/31 off her complement of five overs as if she’s never stepped away.
Making her comeback in a rain-reduced 28-over contest in round two of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield in Palmerston North, Bermingham’s last Domestic appearance before today had been in March 2018, in the 2018/19 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.
The Westport-born cricketer (nicknamed “Buller” throughout her career) retired after 102 one-day appearances for Canterbury that had produced 101 wickets, including four four-fors, until today.
She also represented the WHITE FERNS from 2010 to 2017 in 34 ODIs and 31 T20is, taking 76 wickets across the two formats at international level.
Since then, she has also been sighted captaining three matches for New Zealand Police against New Zealand Under 19 Women, in February 2021. But today was her first full Domestic representative match since her retirement, with Magicians captain and wicketkeeper Laura Hughes one of the chief benificiaries – making three stumpings off Bermingham, as well as taking a catch for four dismissals in an innings.
Bermingham’s victims comprised former WHITE FERNS teammates Hannah Rowe (caught on 2) and Thamsyn Newton (stumped off a wide on 23), as well as NZ Under 19 graduates Flora Devonshire (stumped by a peach on one) and Emma McLeod (stumped on 10).
After having been beaten by the Central Hinds in yesterday’s opening round, the Magicians had dismissed the Hinds for 134 in just 25 overs but were 4/2 in reply, after two early strikes by swing bowler Claudia Green.
Hannah Rowe then made it three down before the rain that had delayed the match returned.
Bermingham isn’t the first former WHITE FERN to answer an SOS in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield. Last season, former New Zealand captain Maia Lewis – at the age of 52, the team manager for Northern Districts – put on borrowed playing kit and took a sharp catch as a substitute fielder in her first appearance in the competition since January 2006, the year she retired from the game.
