When Aotearoa's White Ferns lace up for World Cup games later this summer, Maddy Green's spot in the 1st 11 is all but guaranteed. With an ODI batting record of 20.22avg across 37 inning and two of her three 50+ scores coming in one series against Ireland, Green is among a few White Ferns who have struggled to support the best players since making her debut back in 2014. This lack of support from role-players as well as declining form of the best players has seen the White Ferns stumble to a 12-23 record since the last World Cup in 2017.

This blows out to a 3-20 record since the start of 2019 and in this period, Green has played in 17 games with 281 runs @ 18.73avg. This includes a fairly solid series against England earlier this year in which Green finished behind Amy Satterthwaite for the most White Ferns runs with 120 runs in 5inns @ 30avg. Now we have Aotearoa domestic cricket and thankfully there is a hefty difference between Green's Super Smash and Hallyburton Johnston Shield mahi...

Super Smash: 6inns, 53 runs @ 8.83avg/115sr.

HBJ Shield: 4inns, 265 runs @ 132avg/98sr, 1 x 100, 2 x 50.

Green scored 30 of her 53 Super Smash runs in Wellington's win over Otago yesterday and after five consecutive scores below 10 in the Super Smash, Green now has three nice scores in a row; 51* and 106 in HBJ Shield, 30 runs @ 158sr yesterday. How Green's current form stretches across both formats will be an interesting wrinkle in wahine cricket, however Green's one-day runs are most important in the World Cup context.

Sitting second in HBJ Shield runs, Green is behind Otago's Kate Ebrahim who is making a compelling case for World Cup selection. Eight batters have scored 170+ runs in the HBJ Shield with Ebrahim and Green joined by White Ferns troopers Katey Martin, Amy Satterthwaite, Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr. Lauren Down joins Ebrahim as the players in this group who are out to command 1st 11 opportunities and these two are a spot below Green in the pecking order.

The fact that Green is scoring HBJ Shield runs to fight off any possible challengers is fabulous, while the same vibe flows into Ebrahim and Down's mahi. Brooke Halliday is another batting contender who has played just one HBJ Shield game (24 runs) while scoring 46 runs @ 11.50avg in the Super Smash as Northern's skipper. How Halliday rolls through HBJ Shield will be interesting given she has a similar HBJ Shield/Super Smash split as Green.

White Ferns commanding selection isn't a common theme this summer and that sets Green apart from the others competing for World Cup spots - especially fringe seamers. Having been on the scene for a long time now, Green is well versed in domestic and international cricket without really being a dominant force. Green has found a pocket of runs to start 2022 and what she does for Wellington in these coming weeks will be crucial in setting her and the White Ferns up for the home World Cup.

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