Wellington Blaze and WHITE FERNS allrounder Thamsyn Newton will bring up 100 games for the Blaze in tomorrow’s Dream11 Super Smash clash with the Canterbury Magicians at the Cello Basin Reserve.
Newton debuted for Wellington back in 2011 and has since brought up 51 List A matches and 48 T20 matches for the Blaze, either side of a four-year stint away with Canterbury.
Newton has amassed 946 runs and 43 wickets in her six years in Wellington, helping the side lift four T20 titles, including a Super Smash three-peat between 2018 and 2020.
Blaze head coach Lance Dry said Newton’s milestone was a testament to the leadership the allrounder has brought to the group.
“Thamsyn is a massive presence in this group, she’s played a big role in a lot of the success they’ve had in previous seasons, and she brings a huge amount of energy which is important for her as a leader,” he said.
“Thamsyn has played at the highest level both for the WHITE FERNS and in international tournaments, but 100 games for Wellington really shows her dedication to the Blaze, especially given that she also excels at rugby.
“To reach a milestone like this means you have to perform at a certain level for a long time and Thamsyn has certainly done that with both bat and ball, and we’re looking forward to many more matches to come from her!”
The Blaze will also be boosted by the return of WHITE FERNS bowler Jess Kerr who replaces Tash Codyre in the side after missing the start of the 2021-22 domestic summer with a heel injury.
Kerr joins a bowling unit that has been dominant in the early stages of the Super Smash competition, bowling out the Magicians for 101 in round one and the Central Hinds for just 79 in round two a fortnight ago.
“We’re really excited to welcome Jess back to the side after a frustrating start to the summer for her,” said Dry.
“Jess brings international experience, and we know she’s eager to get out there and show what she can do, especially in what is a very important year for women’s cricket in New Zealand.
“Tash has made a great start to her debut T20 season so it’s difficult to have to leave her out, but it shows the level of depth we have in our side which will be vital heading into an important stage of the summer.”
The Wellington Firebirds have also been boosted by the return of their captain Michael Bracewell ahead of tomorrow’s Super Smash clash.
Bracewell sustained a broken finger in the Firebirds round one Ford Trophy victory over the Otago Volts at the Cello Basin Reserve three weeks ago and missed the Firebirds loss to the Central Stags a fortnight ago.
Firebirds head coach Glenn Pocknall said his skipper’s return was critical heading into a busy three weeks of matches.
“Michael is an integral member of our squad with his leadership and experience so it’s a boost for us to be able to name in back in our side,” he said.
“We’ve got an extremely busy schedule coming up, with Super Smash and Ford Trophy matches coming thick and fast, so to be able to go into that with our skipper fit is a huge bonus.
“We’ve had some injury challenges at the start of this summer, but players are staring to return at the right time, so we’re looking forward to putting in some strong performances and hopefully being in a positive position in both white ball competitions come the middle of January.”
The Firebirds have won their last three successive Super Smash matches against the Kings, including a 27-run win in round one of this year’s competition.
Play gets underway from the Cello Basin Reserve tomorrow between the Blaze and Magicians at 10:10am, before the Firebirds take-on the Kings at 1:40pm. Play is LIVE on Spark Sport and free-to-air on TVNZ 1.
Spotlight Reporting Wellington Blaze squad | Dream11 Super Smash | v Canterbury Magicians
Maddy Green (c) (Petone-Riverside)
Amelia Kerr (vc) (North City)
Rebecca Burns (Hutt District)
Deanna Doughty (Hutt District)
Xara Jetly (North City)
Leigh Kasperek (Johnsonville)
Jess Kerr (North City)
Caitlin King (Petone-Riverside)
Jess McFadyen (wk) (Johnsonville)
Thamsyn Newton (Johnsonville)
Georgia Plimmer (North City)
Maneka Singh (Johnsonville)
Wellington Firebirds squad | Dream11 Super Smash | v Canterbury Kings
Michael Bracewell (c) (Eastern Suburbs)
Finn Allen (wk) (Petone-Riverside)
Hamish Bennett (North City)
Luke Georgeson (Eastern Suburbs)
Jamie Gibson (Eastern Suburbs)
Troy Johnson (Hutt District)
Ollie Newton (Upper Hutt United)
Tim Robinson (Onslow)
Ben Sears (Hutt District)
Nathan Smith (Johnsonville)
Logan Van Beek (Taita District)
Peter Younghusband (Karori)
Article added: Saturday 18 December 2021
