New Zealand Under 19 bowler Tash Codyre and Hutt District bowler Rose Fenton have been awarded their first Spotlight Reporting Wellington Blaze domestic contracts for the 2021/22 season.

The contracts, a feature of the New Zealand Cricket women’s master agreement announced two years ago, are another step in the growth of the women’s game in New Zealand and provide players with financial support to reimburse them for preparation and playing time spent during a busy summer schedule.

Codyre, who was selected in the inaugural New Zealand Women’s Under 19 squad, became a regular in the Blaze’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield squad last summer, playing seven of their 10 matches.

The 17-year-old was also a standout for Wellington at the National Women’s Under 19 tournament in Lincoln where she finished as the tournament’s second highest wicket-taker with 13 from seven matches.

Fenton is a new face on the Blaze radar and is yet to make her full debut for the side.

The 22-year-old seamer performed well for her Hutt District club last summer and featured in the T20 Quad series – a feature of the Cricket Wellington women and girls’ pathway which mixes Blaze players with the Capital’s best club players in a four-team T20 competition.

Wellington Blaze head coach Lance Dry said he was pleased with the depth being developed among the Blaze ranks.

“It’s always exciting to offer players domestic contracts and it represents reward for all the hard work that they’ve put in over the winter,” he said.

“It’s also really pleasing to be able to offer two new players domestic contracts for the first time in Rose and Tash.

“We’re really happy with the depth we are starting to build among the wider Blaze squad – we have a strong international contingent and that has freed up space for players who have proven themselves at club and representative level for Wellington and that can only be good for the future of this squad.

Dry also praised the pathway available to women’s players in the Capital.

“To continue their development, we need our players playing regular cricket, whether that’s with their clubs, at representative level, or with the Blaze.

“Rose’s selection on the domestic contract list shows the opportunities for players who perform well at club level and we’re looking forward to seeing how she develops as a player over the coming season.”

The experienced trio of Deanna Doughty, Caitlin King and Maneka Singh are again offered contracts, as are young bowlers Beth Molony and Xara Jetly who had breakthrough summers last season.

Codyre’s New Zealand Women’s Under 19 teammate Georgia Plimmer is again included after establishing herself as a regular member of the Blaze squad in both formats last season.

Rebecca Burns also returns to the Blaze domestic contract list having completed a year as a New Zealand development contracted player last year.

Of the players who received women’s domestic contracts in the previous year, Olivia Boivin has not been offered a new contract, while Thamsyn Newton and Jess McFadyen are now fully contracted WHITE FERNS.

The Blaze continue their pre-season preparations with two T20 fixtures against Manawatu Cricket next weekend, before the North Island T20 tournament in Taupo on Labour Weekend.

The Blaze’s 2021/22 summer officially gets underway with back-to-back Hallyburton Johnstone Shield fixtures against Northern Districts at Bay Oval November 6 and 7.

Spotlight Reporting Wellington Blaze | Domestic women’s contracts
Rebecca Burns
Natasha Codyre
Deanna Doughty
Rose Fenton
Xara Jetly
Caitlin King
Beth Molony
Georgia Plimmer
Maneka Singh

Click here for the Wellington Blaze 2021/22 schedule.

Article added: Monday 11 October 2021