Hot on the heels of a very good win for our CD A men in their season opener, the first CD A women's team of 2023/24 has been named for three fixtures coming up in Hastings this weekend.

Central Hinds batter EMILY CUNNINGHAM will captain a strong squad that will play Northern Districts A in two back-to-back T20s beginning at 10.30am this Saturday, 4 November, followed by a 50-over one-day match between the same sides on Sunday (10am start).

All three matches are FREE admission, and will be played at the Lindisfarne College grounds - with CD A coming off an exciting unbeaten season last summer.

The squad features eight Central Hinds representatives, including KATE GAGING who will serve as Cunningham's vice-captain, and will keep wicket in the two T20s tomorrow.

Fellow Hinds rep SAM MACKINDER will take the gloves for Sunday's one-dayer.

The fixtures provide players with an opportunity to impress ahead of the CENTRAL HINDS' first two Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-dayers of the season, coming up soon against the Canterbury Magicians at Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North on the weekend of November 18 and 19.

All the CD A matches, as well as the Hinds' upcoming one-dayers, are FREE admission with live-scoring here at www.cdcricket.co.nz

TAYLOR BETTELHEIM made the most of his first CD A opportunity as our A men meanwhile delivered an exciting seven-wicket win in their season-opening three-dayer against Wellington A this week.

After rain had curtailed most of the action on the first day at Nelson Park, Wellington A gained the early advantage, despite CD A captain JAYDEN LENNOX having won the toss and a five-wicket bag in the first innings to Stags paceman LIAM DUDDING.

Wellington A reached 268 in their first innings before CD bowled them out, with opener Chander Ravi and Jesse Tashkoff piling on 143 for the fourth wicket.

Tashkoff reached a century, Wellington's lone score in the middle order while all around him had long since departed for ducks (or a solitary run) as dangerous Dudding got on top early.

However the hosts fell short in their own first dig with the bat, conceding a first innings deficit of 112 runs.

Taylor Bettelheim | MBUTCHER

Bettelheim top-scored for CD with 47 on debut as he opened the batting with Bailey Foote, the pair putting on 72 for the first wicket.

But it would be the only partnership of note, as Wellington A began to effect regular breakthroughs of their own and dismissed CD A for 156.

The visitors then called the shots in their second innings, declaring at 209/7 after the middle order rebounded - Wellington Firebird Jakob Bhula top-scoring with 68.

Toby Findlay took 3/48 in the second innings | MBUTCHER

Captain Mitch Renwick declared with an overall lead of 321, but it was decision he'd live to regret after Bettelheim went on to deliver a brilliant maiden CD century in the final innings.

The ex-ND A and Bay of Plenty opener smashed 169 off 227 deliveries, reaching three figures in 146 balls.

Bettelheim had good support from BAYLEY LATTER (34) and WILL CLARK (74 not out) as Central Districts A took the match deep into the last session, for a hard fought victory.

FULL SCORECARD

CENTRAL DISTRICTS A WOMEN

Squad

v

NORTHERN DISTRICTS A

Lindisfarne College, Hastings

4 and 5 November, 2023

Emily Cunningham (captain) - Taranaki

Aniela Apperley - Hawke's Bay

Olivia Clark - Wairarapa

Reese Drager - Hawke's Bay (Game 2)

Gretel Fairbrother - Hawke's Bay

Grace Foreman - Taranaki

Anna Gaging - Nelson

Kate Gaging (vice-captain; (wicketkeeper for T20s) - Nelson

Macy Lyford - Wairarapa

Jess Ogden - Manawatū

Ashtuti Kumar - Manawatū

Sam Mackinder (wicketkeeper for one-day) - Manawatū

Abby Treder - Manawatū (Games 1 and 3)

Coach: Jamie Watkins

Unavailable:

Elizabeth Cohr - Wairarapa

Emma McLeod - Wairarapa

NORTHERN DISTRICTS A

Squad

Tash Wakelin (c), Eve Wolland, Aria Mischewski, Annie Ewart, Holly Topp, Maddy Curran, Miah Smith, Jesse Prasad, Marama Downes, Amelia Harvey, Yasmeen Kareem, Marina Lamplough

Article added: Friday 3 November 2023