White Ferns feature heavily in return of North-South T20 series

New Zealand Cricket has reintroduced a T20 series after more than a decade with a three-match North v South clash set to feature Aotearoa's best and upcoming female cricketers.

NZC announced today the series will be played this weekend at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln with its reintroduction aimed at providing greater playing opportunities for promising players.

Going forward, the series will be delivered annually in line with the commitment made in last year’s Master Agreement.

NZC Head of High Performance Liz Green, who featured in the last North v South series back in the 2010-2011 summer, said the series is key to the future of the game here.

“The return of this series is really exciting as it increases playing opportunities and reduces the gaps between our international and domestic programmes,” said Green.

“We know that increased playing opportunities are crucial for the development of our players, and we intend to grow the North v South series over the coming years to ensure talented players are given opportunities to advance.”

Selection for the series is based on performances from both domestic and international fixtures, meaning some of New Zealand's best will also feature.

Two names missing from the series though are White Ferns Sophie Devine and Melie Kerr who were unavailable for selection due to their involvement in the debut season of the WPL in India.

Hayley Jensen will also miss the series due to the knee injury she sustained at the Women's T20 World Cup while Lea Tahuhu is also out due to an exhibition match in the PSL.

NZC noted in terms of players from the Central Districts Major Association, which spans both the North and South Islands, players were selected based on their District Association affiliation.

NZC High Performance Coaches Sara McGlashan (North) and Dean Brownlie (South) will coach the squads.

North Squad

Bernadine Bezuidenhout (Northern Brave), Rebecca Burns (Wellington Blaze), Lauren Down (Auckland Hearts), Izzy Gaze (Auckland Hearts), Maddy Green (Wellington Blaze), Brooke Halliday (Northern Brave), Fran Jonas (Auckland Hearts), Leigh Kasperek (Wellington Blaze), Jess Kerr (Wellington Blaze), Rosemary Mair (Central Hinds), Jess McFadyen (Wellington Blaze), Nensi Patel (Northern Brave), Molly Penfold (Auckland Hearts), Georgia Plimmer (Wellington Blaze), Hannah Rowe (Central Hinds)

South Squad

Kate Anderson (Canterbury Magicians), Sarah Asmussen (Canterbury Magicians), Missy Banks (Canterbury Magicians), Suzie Bates (Otago Sparks), Emma Black (Otago Sparks), Caitlin Blakely (Otago Sparks), Eden Carson (Otago Sparks), Kate Ebrahim (Otago Sparks), Olivia Gain (Otago Sparks), Claudia Green (Central Hinds), Abigail Hotton (Canterbury Magicians), Polly Inglis (Otago Sparks), Bella James (Otago Sparks), Felicity Leydon-Davis (Otago Sparks), Gabby Sullivan (Canterbury Magicians)