New Zealand Women to field under-19 side for first time

A squad of 18 players will take on a New Zealand Police women’s team and a New Zealand provincial women’s XI in six matches between February and April

New Zealand will field a women’s under-19 side for the first time ever next month.

A squad of 18 players will take on a New Zealand Police women’s team and a New Zealand provincial women’s XI in six matches between February and April.

Current New Zealand player Katie Perkins and former leg-spinner Erin Bermingham will both feature for the Police.

International women’s cricket at under-19 level has rarely been played in recent times, but in 2019 the ICC announced the introduction of a World Cup.

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“This is a great opportunity for our young, female cricketers to shine on a bigger stage,” said head of women’s high-performance Ant Sharp of the upcoming matches.

“The U19s represent the next level of up-and-coming players in the country, with several having already played domestic cricket.

“With the ICC Under-19 Women’s World Cup postponed due to Covid-19 we still want to provide some competitive fixtures for this group as they represent an important part of our talent pathway.”

Squad: Gemma Adams, Melissa Banks, Lucy Boucher, Natasha Codyre, Olivia Gain, Isabella Gaze, Abigale Gerken, Georgina Harris, Amie Hucker, Bree Illing, Emma Irwin, Fran Jonas, Kayley Knight, Molly Loe, Nensi Patel, Cate Pedersen, Georgia Plimmer, Makayla Templeton