Northern Districts women's cricket team explained

Northern Districts
Captain:Eimear Richardson
Coach:Joanne Broadbent
Founded:First recorded match: 1999
Ground:Seddon Park, Hamilton
Ground2:Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Cobham Oval, Whangārei
Title1:HBJS
Title1wins:0
Title2:SS
Title2wins:0
Website:Northern Districts

The Northern Districts women's cricket team, previously known as Northern Spirit, is the women's representative cricket team of the Northern Districts Cricket Association, based in the northern half of New Zealand's North Island. They play their home games at Seddon Park, Hamilton. They compete in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day competition and also the Women's Super Smash Twenty20 competition, where they are known as the Northern Brave.

History

Northern Districts joined the New Zealand women's domestic structure in 1999–00, finishing bottom of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield in their first year of competing.[1] Northern Districts have consistently been one of the poorest performers in both the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and the Twenty20 Super Smash, which began in 2007–08, and are the only current side to have not won a trophy.[2]

Northern Districts' best finish in the Super Smash came in its inaugural season, when they finished 3rd with 3 wins.[3] In 2019–20, they reached the final of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, but lost by 67 runs to Auckland, despite batter Felicity Leydon-Davis scoring 124.[4] Northern Districts' Caitlin Gurrey was the leading run-scorer across the whole tournament, with 576 runs.[5] In 2020–21, the side finished 4th in both competitions, with 5 wins in the Shield and 3 in the Super Smash.[6] [7]

On 9 October 2021, it was announced that the Northern Districts Cricket Association were combining the brands of the men's and women's teams for the Super Smash, with both teams becoming known as Northern Brave.[8]

Grounds

Northern Districts' first match was played at St Paul's Collegiate Ground. Their primary ground soon became Westpac Trust Park, Hamilton, as well as using Wintech Park in the same city.[9]

From 2005, Northern Districts began using Blake Park, Mount Maunganui (later Bay Oval) as their main home ground, as well as later using Cobham Oval, Whangārei and returning to Westpac Trust Park, now renamed Seddon Park. The side has also occasionally used St Peter's School, Cambridge, as well as returning to St Paul's Collegiate Ground. In 2021–22 and 2022–23, they played the majority of their home games at Seddon Park, as well as playing at Bay Oval and at Cobham Oval.[9] [10] [11]

Players

Current squad

Based on squad announced for the 2023–24 season. Players in bold have international caps.[12]

No.NameNationalityBirth dateBatting styleBowling styleNotes
Batters
3Lucy Boucher 23 October 2001 Right-handed
13Yasmeen Kareem 8 September 1999 Left-handed
23Caitlin Gurrey 19 July 1995 Right-handed
28Samantha Barriball 28 October 1985 Right-handed
All-rounders
2Carol Agafili 20 November 2002 Right-handed
4Jess Watkin 7 May 1998 Right-handed
8Eimear Richardson 14 September 1986 Right-handed
15Nensi Patel 27 May 2002 Right-handed
Wicket-keepers
5Holly Topp 21 August 2001 Right-handed
12Bernadine Bezuidenhout 14 September 1993 Right-handed
Bowlers
7Marina Lamplough 28 September 1999 Right-handed
11Marama Downes 4 December 2002 Unknown
19Tash Wakelin 19 December 2005 Right-handed
20Kayley Knight 20 October 2003 Right-handed
26Shriya Naidu 26 November 1995 Right-handed
35Jesse Prasad 19 January 1999 Right-handed
74Eve Wolland 7 July 2006 Right-handed

Notable players

Players who have played for Northern Districts and played internationally are listed below, in order of first international appearance (given in brackets):[13]

Olympian Emma Twigg has also represented the team, fielding as the twelfth man in Northern Districts' final match of the 2021–22 Super Smash.[14]

Coaching staff

Honours

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: State Insurance Cup 1999–00 Table. CricketArchive. 6 April 2021.
  2. Web site: The History of Women’s Domestic Cricket in New Zealand . October 2015 . 15 April 2021 . Watkin, Evan . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170411134035/http://www.cricketwellington.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/The-History-of-Womens-Domestic-Cricket.pdf . 11 April 2017 . dead .
  3. Web site: State League Twenty20 2007–08 Table. CricketArchive. 6 April 2021.
  4. Web site: Grand Final, Hallyburton Johnstone Shield 2019–20, 14 March 2020 . New Zealand Cricket . 6 April 2021.
  5. Web site: Batting and Fielding in Hallyburton Johnstone Shield 2019–20 (Ordered by Runs) . CricketArchive . 6 April 2021.
  6. Web site: Hallyburton Johnstone 2020–21 Table . CricketArchive . 6 April 2021.
  7. Web site: Dream11 Women's Super Smash 2020–21 Table . CricketArchive . 6 April 2021.
  8. Web site: Northern Districts Make Brave Change . Northern Districts . 9 October 2021.
  9. Web site: Women's List A Matches played by Northern Districts Women. CricketArchive. 4 April 2021.
  10. Web site: Women's Twenty20 Matches played by Northern Districts Women. CricketArchive. 4 April 2021.
  11. Web site: Women's Miscellaneous Matches played by Northern Districts Women. CricketArchive. 4 April 2021.
  12. Web site: Strong 2023-24 Contract List Announced for Northern Districts Women . Northern Districts . 14 November 2023.
  13. Web site: Northern Districts Women Players . CricketArchive . 6 April 2021.
  14. Web site: Emma Twigg keeps her oar in – but dabbles with a bat too . Stuff . 27 January 2022.
  15. Web site: Northern Districts Head Coaches Selected for 2020–21 . Northern Districts . 4 April 2021.