Photo Credit: Hobart Hurricanes
New Zealand all-rounder Hayley Jensen has put pen to paper with the Hurricanes this season taking up a fourth overseas spot with the team.
The 28 year old has previously played for both the Melbourne Renegades and Stars and the Perth Scorchers in the WBBL, and comes back to the competition after a hiatus during WBBL|05.
Hobart Hurricanes General Manager Scott Barnes commented that Jensen’s performance in both the recent White Ferns tour of Australia and the 2020 ICC Twenty20 World Cup brought her into the mix for the Hurricanes.
“The New Zealand cricket system has been great for Hayley, and I’m confident that she will rotate into the squad pretty easily”, said Barnes. “She’s first played for the Kiwis in the 2013/14 season, and to have notched up a Player of the Match award in the team’s first World Cup match earlier this year shows just how much she has to offer.”
Jensen joins a raft of new signings as the Hurricanes squad prepare for the WBBL village in Sydney, including recent Tasmanian Tigers recruits Naomi Stalenberg and Amy Smith, as well as Hurricanes stalwart Emma Thompson.
The full squad list heading into the Rebel WBBL|06 is:
Corinne Hall (C)
Nicola Carey
Brooke Hepburn
Hayley Jensen (OS)
Erica Kershaw
Hayley Matthews (OS)
Sasha Moloney
Rachel Priest (OS)
Chloe Rafferty
Amy Smith
Naomi Stalenberg
Emma Thompson
Chloe Tryon (OS)
Belinda Vakarewa
Replacement Players:
Chloe Abel
Nell Bryson Smith
Emily Smith
Hurricanes contracted players Tayla Vlaeminck and Maisy Gibson will not be travelling with the team this year due to injury.
Hobart Hurricanes Head Coach Salliann Briggs is pleased to have brought local young talent Amy Smith into the squad.
“Amy is an exciting young cricketer who made her WNCL debut at the age of fourteen, having a leg-spinner is crucial in T20 cricket and she gives us an option with the bat lower in the order. We’ll have a large focus on supporting her throughout the tournament.”
“With Tayla and Maisy not able to play this season it’s been good to be able to bring in some new young talent. While they won’t be in Sydney, we’ve got some plans for how they can still play a role in the broader team.”
Smith will be the youngest player in the WBBL village, and Briggs highlighted the need to prepare for all aspects of the tournament.
“We’ve been supporting the players for what they’ll need for this experience, and now we’re just talking about performance and cricket”, said Briggs. “We know that we’ve strengthened our squad, and that we’ve got options in all areas so we’re really excited to start playing.”
Barnes noted the preparation that has gone into getting the competition off the ground and getting the team ready to win.
“A mountain of work has gone into getting the WBBL off the ground”, said Barnes. “To be able to play a six-week tournament is huge, and I’m thrilled about the celebration of female cricket we have ahead.”
Photo Credit: LinkedIn profile photo of Scott Barnes
“We’re conscious that not playing in front of a home crowd is tough for our fans and our team, but we know that we’ll feel the support of Tasmanians up in New South Wales.”
