National one-day champions the Central Hinds have appointed three captains to share leadership duties for the 2019/20 summer.

In announcing the new captaincy structure today, head coach Jamie Watkins said the change was designed to lessen the load on Anlo van Deventer — who is pushing hard for WHITE FERNS selection after a prolific 2018/19 season with the bat.

Van Deventer has led the team in both the one-day and T20 formats since 2017, and will continue to lead the team in the one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield defence while allrounders Hannah Rowe and Jess Watkin will step up for the first time to co-captain the Hinds through a busy Super Smash T20 season.

“The change will give Anlo the chance to concentrate on her own game during the Super Smash, and will also provide an opportunity for others with a high degree of leadership potential in our group to grow their game in the captaincy role,” said Watkins.

Captaining the Hinds won’t be entirely new to Rowe: the Manawatū-based WHITE FERNS allrounder made her captaincy debut in January this year in a one-off tour match against India Women, at Napier’s Nelson Park when van Deventer was unavailable due to work commitments.

In the last two seasons, Rowe has served as van Deventer’s vice-captain in both formats, while Watkin stepped up to the role of vice-captain for the first time in the tour match against India.

The Hinds’ restructure echoes the three-captain system successfully employed by the Central Stags last season — the Stags powering on to claim two of the three men’s Domestic trophies.

Sister team the Hinds also enjoyed their most successful season in a decade, van Deventer’s young team dominating the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and ousting previous champions the Auckland Hearts in the Grand Final at New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park. Van Deventer led from the front with the bat, netting 514 runs from 11 matches at an 85.66 average, the 25-year-old in the top three run-scorers nationally.

A member of this year’s NZC Emerging Players winter training programme, van Deventer is looking forward to a new season which will see the Hinds play an unprecedented six Super Smash doubleheaders with the Stags and four Hallyburton Johnstone Shield home matches. The one-dayers will open the season at Levin’s Donnelly Park (16 and 17 November) with Pukekura Park  (one-dayers and Super Smash) and McLean Park (Super Smash) also slated for Hinds home matches this summer.

“Splitting the captaincy was something Jamie and I discussed at the end of last season and we’re very fortunate to have a number of people we can choose from in this group who can lead the Hinds,” said van Deventer.

“Jess and Rowey both have very good cricket heads. I’m looking forward to seeing them develop further as leaders in the Super Smash campaign.”

Palmerston North-based Rowe said she is looking forward to the opportunity to co-captain the Hinds in this summer’s Super Smash campaign.

"I'm really excited to learn off Jess as we captain this T20 season together,” said Rowe. “She is a very smart cricketer and will bring a wealth of knowledge to her new leadership position.

"Anlo has done an incredible job over the last two seasons. Taking over such a young group of players and leading us to a Hallyburton Johnstone Shield title is testament to a lot of hard work she puts in, both on and off the park — so we will have some big shoes to fill when it comes to the T20 captaincy.”

In contrast to their one-day fortunes, the Hinds were luckless in last summer’s Super Smash — although they pushed the Auckland Hearts hard at Pukekura Park.

“The Hinds have so much potential in the T20 format,” Rowe says. “Hopefully Jess and I can help drive a convincing campaign — and look to bring that Super Smash trophy home.”

Whanganui’s Jess Watkin said she felt honoured to be invited to co-captain the Hinds.

“The Hinds have grown so much through the environment created by Jamie and Anlo, and we’re at a very exciting stage,” said Watkin.

“Hannah and I have learnt a lot from Anlo — and we’ll still continue to do so as Anlo leads us through our defence of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.

“Meanwhile I’m honoured to be leading the team through the T20 campaign, alongside Hannah. We have similar understandings towards the game and work well together so I’m excited by the challenge, and excited to see what we can do.

CENTRAL HINDS SCHEDULE 2019/20

Super Smash (T20)

13 Dec at Lincoln: Canterbury Magicians v Central Hinds

14 Dec at Lincoln: Central Hinds v Northern Spirit

14 Dec at Lincoln: Wellington Blaze v Central Hinds

15 Dec at Lincoln: Northern Spirit v Central Hinds

23 Dec at Napier: Central Hinds v Canterbury Magicians (Doubleheader with Central Stags)

27 Dec at New Plymouth: Central Hinds v Wellington Blaze (Doubleheader with Central Stags)

28 Dec at New Plymouth: Central Hinds v Auckland Hearts (Doubleheader with Central Stags)

2 Jan at Napier: Central Hinds v Otago Sparks (Doubleheader with Central Stags)

4 Jan at Auckland: Auckland Hearts v Central Hinds (Doubleheader with Central Stags))

11 Jan at Dunedin: Otago Sparks v Central Hinds (Doubleheader with Central Stags)

Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (One-Day) - FREE admission

16 Nov at Levin: Central Hinds v Otago Sparks

17 Nov at Levin: Central Hinds v Otago Sparks

30 Nov at Karori: Wellington Blaze v Central Hinds

1 Dec at Karori: Wellington Blaze v Central Hinds

7 Dec at Mt Maunganui: Northern Spirit v Central Hinds

8 Dec at Mt Maunganui: Northern Spirit v Central Hinds

1 Feb at Auckland: Auckland Hearts v Central Hinds

2 Feb at Auckland: Auckland Hearts v Central Hinds

22 Feb at New Plymouth: Central Hinds v Canterbury Magicians

23 Feb at New Plymouth: Central Hinds v Canterbury Magicians

All 2019/20 Domestic fixtures here

Article added: Tuesday 27 August 2019

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