Central Hinds star HANNAH ROWE is heading to the Caribbean with the New Zealand WHITE FERNS, but there's no room for fellow Commonwealth Games squad picks ROSEMARY MAIR and CLAUDIA GREEN this time around.

Rowe has been named in the first squad selected by fresh WHITE FERNS head coach Ben Sawyer who welcomes Auckland bowler Molly Penfold, Wellington's Jess Kerr and experienced top order batter Lauren Down back to the top squad. CD Alumna SARA McGLASHAN will again be an Assistant Coach for the team.

The WHITE FERNS will play three ODIs and five T20is, all at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua v the Windies women, starting on 16 September (West Indies time).

PHOTOSPORT

A veteran of 122 representative one-dayers (41 for the WHITE FERNS) and 102 Twenty20 matches (30 for the WHITE FERNS), Rowe needs just seven more wickets to chalk up her first 50 victims for New Zealand - with her career-best 5-55 coming for the team during the one-day ICC Women's World Cup in Christchurch earlier this year.

With the next ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in South Africa next February, Sawyer said the side would naturally be working towards that tournament, and looking to take momentum from their recent bronze medal Commonwealth Games success in Birmingham.

Commented Sawyer, “I know the team took a lot of confidence from winning that bronze-medal match against England, and to do it in front of a packed house at Edgbaston - and to do it so convincingly - will have given the whole unit so much belief.

"This tour will be important for us to continue building on the good work done in England. Hayley Jensen is already over in the Caribbean playing in the CPL, and she said the conditions are extremely hot and the wickets are keeping a little low - so that’s what we can expect.

“We’ll of course be out to win both series in the Caribbean, but will also be looking to offer opportunities to different players as we try and nail down our combinations for the T20 World Cup, and refine our game-plans.

“We’ll also be giving the one-day series plenty of attention, having identified that as the format most in need of improvement.”

The WHITE FERNS last toured West Indies in 2014, losing the ODI series 4-0 but edging the Windies in the T20Is 2-1, following a thrilling Super Over victory in the deciding match.

The New Zealand-based WHITE FERNS players will depart for the West Indies on 10 September 2022.

2022 TOUR TO THE

WEST INDIES

Sophie Devine - Wellington Blaze (c)

HANNAH ROWE - Central Hinds

Suzie Bates - Otago Sparks

Eden Carson - Otago Sparks

Lauren Down - Auckland Hearts

Izzy Gaze - Auckland Hearts

Maddy Green-  Wellington Blaze

Brooke Halliday - Northern Brave

Hayley Jensen - Otago Sparks

Fran Jonas - Auckland Hearts

Jess Kerr - Wellington Blaze

Molly Penfold - Auckland Hearts

Melie Kerr - Wellington Blaze

Molly Penfold - Auckland Hearts

Georgia Plimmer - Wellington Blaze

Lea Tahuhu - Canterbury Magicians

TOUR SCHEDULE

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Article added: Thursday 01 September 2022