Five of New Zealand’s six Major Associations are set to compete in Manawatū this week for the honour of being crowned the top female Under 17 cricket side in the country.

The tournament, initiated in CD, is designed to provide an opportunity for emerging players to test themselves against their peers from all corners of the country, in a structured and competitive tournament.

National tournaments exist at New Zealand Cricket level for Under 17 Boys, Under 19 Men, and Under 19 Women, the six Major Associations of New Zealand sending a team to Lincoln annually each summer for the coveted age-group trophies.

But a formal Under 17 girls' structure is yet to develop, so the initiative helps bridge a gap as the groundswell of female youth talent grows.

PHOTOSPORT

So much so that, for the first time this season, CD will field two teams in the tourney: a CD Under 17 team and a “CD Gold” squad that includes a smattering of Under 18 players.

The extra team creates an even draw at Fitzherbert Park with four of the five other Major Associations all after this year’s title — Auckland, Wellington, Otago, and Northern Districts.

Sponsored for the second consecutive season by Kookaburra Sport NZ, the Kookaburra National Girls’ Under 17 Tournament spans four big days this week in Palmerston North, providing a mix of 35-over and T20 cricket beginning this Monday, 15 January 2024 with all matches livescored on PlayHQ:

 

Several CD names will be familiar from the champion St Matthew’s Collegiate school side that won NZC’s Venus Cup National Secondary Schools Final, in Lincoln last month.

AVA REGISTER, SALLY BOOTH, FRANCESCA WELLS and INDIA BARTLETT all featured in that winning side, and will be suiting up for CD U17, as did LILY HUNT and DINA MORRISON who will play for CD Gold.

INDIE BARTLETT | PHOTOSPORT

The team also features Taranaki allrounder NIAMH MORIARTY who turned heads at the start of the season by taking a remarkable five wickets with her first five deliveries in a match for New Plymouth’s Sacred Heart College against Feilding High School, and two South Island representatives in Nelson and CD Māori rep MADISON GREENAWAY and Marlborough’s STELLA CORNELIUS.

NIAMH MORIARTY

Four teams competed last summer for the first Kookaburra U17 Girls’ title. With three wins apiece, Wellington and CD headed into the Final, while Northern Districts and Auckland played off for third. Wellington went on to clinch the trophy with a 44-run victory over CD in the Fitzherbert Park final and heads in as the defending champion this week.

The decisive day of this year’s Kookaburra Girls’ Under 17 tournament in Palmerston North coincides with the start of the NZC Men’s Under 17 Nationals in Lincoln, Canterbury.

Taranaki’s TAENE NELLEY has been named captain of an exciting 2023/24 male CD Under 17 squad that this season features a mix of Hawke’s Bay, Horowhenua-Kāpiti, Whanganui, Nelson, and Manawatū representatives.

Three of his teammates - SACHA PICKERING - who took a six-wicket bag at last year's event - and 2023 CD U17 Men's Player of the Year JACOB COTTER from Hawke’s Bay, and Nelson’s CARL QUINN - return from last summer’s CD U17 team, while Hawke’s Bay’s OLLIE BEALE steps up after having been named as a non-travelling reserve in 2022/23.

The boys will kick off their campaign with a big two-day game against Auckland this Thursday and Friday. 

After a rest day, their second-round match against defending champion Northern Districts on 21 and 22 January on Bert Sutcliffe Oval will be live-streamed at www.nzc.nz and on NZC YouTube.

PHOTOSPORT

The teams then switch into one-day mode to round out the tournament, with the decisive round for all teams set down for 25 January, and all games livescored at www.cdcricket.co.nz 

Taranaki’s KURT LEUTHART has been named to coach the team, with DANIEL DREPAUL assisting, while JAY IRVING and COLE FREEMAN will mentor the female CD U17 and CD Gold sides respectively, with EDEN PETTIGREW and former Zimbabwe International rep CHRISTABEL CHATONZWA as Assistant Coaches.

KOOKABURRA GIRLS' UNDER 17 INVITATIONAL

Monday 15 to Thursday 18 January 2024

Fitzherbert Park • Palmerston North

CENTRAL DISTRICTS UNDER 17

India Bartlett - Wairarapa

Sally Booth - wicketkeeper, Wairarapa

Madison Brown - Wairarapa

Aria Cameron - Manawatū

Stella Cornelius - Marlborough

Madison Greenway - Nelson

Penny Lovegrove - Manawatū

Jess Monk - Wairarapa

Niamh Moriarty - Taranaki

Maggie Rate - Manawatū

Ava Register - Wairarapa

Emma Rimmer - Hawke’s Bay

Francesca Wells - Wairarapa

Coach: Jay Irving

Assistant Coach: Eden Pettigrew

CENTRAL DISTRICTS GOLD

Charlotte Butler - Taranaki

Lucy Calkin - Manawatū

Myah Dawson - Manawatū

Zoe Ellerton Kelly - Taranaki

Lily Hunt - Wairarapa

Aria Kearney - Manawatū

Ana Kendrick - Hawke’s Bay

Summer Lovegrove - Manawatū

Bridie McFadzean - Manawatū

Dina Morrison - wicketkeeper, Wairarapa

Lucy Myers - Manawatū

Anika Scott - Taranaki

Charlotte Wakefield - Hawke’s Bay

Coach: Cole Freeman

Assistant coach: Christabel Chatonzwa

Non-travelling reserves for CD U17 and CD Gold

Zara Thompson - Manawatū

Brigid Thomas - Nelson

Petra Cederman - Nelson

2023/24 NZC MEN'S UNDER 17 NATIONALS

Thursday 18 to Thursday 25 January 2024

NZC High Performance Centre

Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand

CENTRAL DISTRICTS UNDER 17 MEN

Taene Nelley - captain, Taranaki

Oliver Beale - Hawke’s Bay

Matthew Campbell - Manawatū

Jacob Cotter - Hawke’s Bay

Nic Donnelly - Horowhenua-Kāpiti

Max Hart - Horowhenua-Kāpiti

Jordin Last-Harris - Manawatū

Aidan Muir - Whanganui

Sacha Pickering - Hawke’s Bay

Carl Quinn - Nelson

Andrew Rawnsley - Hawke’s Bay

Asher Ryan - Taranaki

Josh Young - Hawke’s Bay

Non-travelling reserves

Charlie Ferguson - Horowhenua-Kāpiti

Jamie Ingram - Taranaki

Alex Pringle - Taranaki

Coach: Kurt Leuthart

Assistant coach: Daniel Drepaul

CD U17 MEN'S SCHEDULE

18-19 January 2024 • 10.30am

Round 1 (two-day match)

v

Auckland U17, Lincoln Green

21-22 January 2024 - 10am, free livestream

Round 2 (two-day match)

v

Northern Districts U17, Bert Sutcliffe Oval

4 January 2024, 10.15am

Round 3 (one-day match)

v

Canterbury U17, Lincoln No.3

25 January 2024, 10.30am

Round 4 (one-day match, 40 overs)

v

Otago U17, Lincoln Green

FULL SCHEDULE, livescoring, points and results hub

Article added: Saturday 13 January 2024