It's a Rocco recall and business as usual for HANNAH ROWE as New Zealand's WHITE FERNS get ready to host England in the upcoming T20I and ODI Series - including two T20 International games at Nelson's Saxton Oval.

It means three CENTRAL HINDS will be involved in the Series in all, with this summer's overseas pro HOLLIE ARMITAGE have been selected for England for the first time off the back of the Dream11 Super Smash with the Hinds.

Napier pace bowler ROSEMARY MAIR aka 'Rocco' is a contracted WHITE FERN and was a member of the medal-winning Commonwealth Games team, but hasn't been picked for a game since March 2022 in ODIs and August 2022 in the T20 format.

Back in black: Rosemary Mair • PHOTOSPORT

So with no room for Auckland's Molly Penfold this time around, it's a welcome chance to get back on the park with the fern on her shirt after a strong summer, which included taking four wickets in four balls in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and brilliant T20 career best performance of 4-1-5-4 in the Dream11 Super Smash Grand Final against Wellington Blaze.

Mair's last selection was for last year’s tour to Sri Lanka, without getting a start. But her form this summer makes her too good to leave out, after 16 previous ODI and 19 T20 International appearances for New Zealand since her February 2019 debut.

The pair is included in a 15-strong squad that will be heading into five T20Is and three ODIs, starting in Dunedin on March 19 and finishing in Hamilton in April, all covered live on TVNZ and SENZ.

 

WHITE FERNS Head Coach Ben Sawyer said he'd been impressed by Mair’s performances for the Hinds. 

“Rosemary’s had a great Domestic season,” he said. “She’s been an integral part of the Central Hinds side this summer, and has stepped up with her leadership and extra pace which has been pleasing.

“We had identified key areas of her game to work on after the tour of Sri Lanka, and we’ve been impressed with the way Rosemary has gone away and worked hard on implementing these into her game.

“The results speak for themselves, and Rosemary’s performance in the Dream11 Super Smash Grand Final showed us that she’s ready for another opportunity."

 

The squad has been selected across both series but with Blaze's Georgia Plimmer selected for the ODI series only, while Otago Sparks spinner Eden Carson is picked for the first three T20s and Blaze captain Leigh Kasperek coming in for the last two T20s in her pace.

The New Zealand A squad to face England A will be named tomorrow.

Three standby players for the WHITE FERNS will be named closer to the Series as cover for the 1^st T20I - in case Melie Kerr (Mumbai Indians), Sophie Devine (Royal Challengers Bangalore), or Lea Tahuhu (Gujarat Giants) are unavailable due to WPL finals commitments which coincide with the Series opener in Dunedin.

The series is the first time the WHITE FERNS have faced England since claiming victory in the bronze medal match at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and the first time England has visited New Zealand since 2021.

2024 ODI and T20 International Series v England

Sophie Devine - captain, Wellington Blaze

ROSEMARY MAIR - Central Hinds

HANNAH ROWE - Central Hinds

Suzie Bates - Otago Sparks

Bernadine Bezuidenhout - wicketkeeper, Northern Brave

Eden Carson - Otago Sparks, T20Is 1-3 only

Izzy Gaze - wicketkeeper, Auckland Hearts

Maddy Green - Auckland Hearts

Brooke Halliday - Auckland Hearts

Fran Jonas - Auckland Hearts

Leigh Kasperek - Wellington Blaze, T20Is 4-5 only

Melie Kerr - Wellington Blaze

Jess Kerr - Wellington Blaze

Georgia Plimmer - Wellington Blaze, ODIs only

Lea Tahuhu - Canterbury Magicians

WHITE FERNS v England Series

T20 warm-up 1 – Sunday 10 March, 11AM – Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown

T20 Warm-up 2 – Tuesday 12 March, 10AM – Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown

1^st  T20I – Tuesday 19 March, 1PM – University of Otago Oval, Dunedin

2^nd T20I – Friday 22 March, 1PM – Saxton Oval, Nelson

3^rd T20I – Sunday 24 March, 1PM – Saxton Oval, Nelson

4^th T20I – Wednesday 27 March, 1PM – Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington

5^th T20I – Friday 29 March, 1PM – Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington

1^st  ODI – Monday 1 April, 11AM – Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington

2^nd  ODI – Thursday 4 April, 11AM - Seddon Park, Hamilton

3^rd  ODI – Sunday 7 April, 11AM - Seddon Park, Hamilton

PHOTOSPORT

Article added: Tuesday 5 March 2024