2022/23 HBJ Shield: 10 Intriguing Wahine
Hallyburton Johnstone Shield wahine cricket begins this weekend and while the opening rounds are unlikely to feature the kiwis in Women's Big Bash League, there are many funky wrinkles to enjoy. To spark up HBJ Shield vitamins, here is a crop of 10 intriguing players who are either young and emerging, or have ample funk thanks to their White Ferns context.
Kate Anderson
Last summer Kate Anderson was an HBJ Shield monster, finishing second for runs. Anderson and Katey Martin were the only batters who scored 200+ runs with strike-rates over 100 with Anderson scoring four 50+ scores in six innings. Now Anderson has left Northern for Canterbury where she bolsters their batting unit and also offers nifty off-spin; Anderson averages below 30 with the ball in both formats (List-A and T20).
White Ferns have promoted players with far worse stats than Anderson and her LA career batting average of 31.05 is among the best in Aotearoa, although there is a dip in her T20 mahi (14.61avg). Anderson should find a groove in HBJ Shield as part of a solid Canterbury outfit and Super Smash will present opportunities for Anderson to showcase her growth.
Nensi Patel
Nensi Patel is now a significant figure for Northern after the departure of Anderson and Patel seems well poised to elevate her mahi. Patel finished first for HBJ Shield wickets last season and eighth for runs, while also 11th for Super Smash wickets. How Patel starts the summer in HBJ Shield will be interesting as she was far less effective batting in Super Smash (105 runs @ 11.66avg) and this could be low-hanging development fruit for Patel.
Northern will need Patel sizzling with her all-round abilities, plus she is an excellent fielder who can influence games in that aspect. Patel has hovered around White Ferns training this year and how she parlays this into HBJ Shield after being dominant last summer will be informative about WF development, plus Patel's potential.
Emma Black
Eden Carson earned a WF promotion after finishing third in HBJ Shield wickets and fourth in Super Smash wickets. Emma Black finished fourth for HBJ Shield wickets (13w @ 13.38avg/4rpo) and fifth for Super Smash wickets (16w @ 19.5avg/6.78rpo), right behind Carson in both competitions and equally as potent as Carson in Otago's bowling unit.
Black has a LA average of 26.26 and this drops down to 21avg for T20 bowling, which puts her among the best seamers on the domestic circuit. Combine that with an exciting Otago development pipeline and Black will be a key figure in Otago's bowling crew.
Xara Jetly
Xara Jetly was Wellington's third best HBJ Shield bowler and their fourth best Super Smash bowler. This feels a lot better when laid out as Jetly being behind three of Aotearoa's best bowlers in the Kerr sisters and Leigh Kasperek, sitting seventh for HBJ Shield and Super Smash wickets. Jetly averages 11.25 in her T20 career with the ball and 29.80 in LA, yet she is coming off her best HBJ Shield campaign last summer; Jetly's 16.11avg was her first season below 35avg.
Jetly's offies fit into a funky Wellington bowling unit that has ample spinners, plus Jetly is a lively fielder who can step up to play key roles when others are unavailable.
Abby Gerken
Canterbury's Abby Gerken was the only non-WF who scored a century in HBJ Shield last season, which flows into Gerken being the only non-WF who registered a century and 50+ score. Gerken finished with 249 runs @ 41.5avg/75.22sr in HBJ Shield last season and while this put Gerken in the upper-echelon of HBJ Shield, Gerken could only manage 47 runs @ 7.83avg/71.21sr in Super Smash.
That was Gerken's first Super Smash campaign though, while she had played an HBJ Shield game in the previous season. Gerken flashed her abilities last summer and also encountered patches of adverstiy, offering intrigue as to how Gerken performs this summer after the winter training grind.
Saachi Shahri
Auckland batter Saachi Shahri has showcased her classy strokes for a few seasons now and while she didn't do anything spectacular last summer, Shahri played a low key role for Auckland. Shahri put up 139 runs @ 27.8avg in HBJ Shield, but her mahi in Super Smash was more impressive as Shahri scored 119 runs @ 29.75avg/108.18sr and she finished as Auckland's best attacking batter.
Arlene Kelly was the only other Auckland batter who scored 100+ runs with a strike-rate over 100 (101sr) in Super Smash. Shahri also had the highest batting average for Auckland and along with a solid HBJ Shield campaign, Shahri enjoyed her best season of batting since her debut in 2016/17.
Polly Inglis
Batters with funky attacking weapons stand out in domestic cricket and Otago's Polly Inglis has quietly settled as the funkiest batter in Aotearoa. Three Otago batters scored 200+ runs in Super Smash last season and that obviously features Suzie Bates and Katey Martin, plus Inglis (227 runs @ 20.63avg/95.37sr). Inglis registered a 50+ score in both competitions last season; 68 of her 88 HBJ Shield runs came in one knock.
Inglis made her debut in 2012/13 and after a slow start to her career, Inglis now has three seasons averaging 20+ in Super Smash and four seasons averaging 20+ in HBJ Shield. Otago are unlikely to enjoy the presence of Bates in the next few weeks and Inglis is well equipped to lead Otago's batting unit.
Rosemary Mair
Rosemary Mair enjoyed steady opportunities for White Ferns in recent years and despite being a fabulous T20 bowler, Mair only featured in two Commonwealth Games fixtures. Mair didn't even bowl in one of those games and she now has an opportunity to showcase her impressive seam bowling with Central.
Mair took 12w @ 15avg/5.48rpo in Super Smash last summer and her 21.72avg in T20 bowling jumps up to 31avg for LA bowling. This is reflected in Mair's international mahi as she has an ODI average of 71.25 and T20I average of 23.85. Mair didn't play much HBJ Shield last season and her form early this season will be crucial as she works towards White Ferns selection.
Molly Penfold
Auckland seamer Molly Penfold may be the fastest young seamer in Aotearoa and this has seen quickly promoted to White Ferns cricket. Penfold averages over 38 in both formats and conceded over 6rpo in both competitions last summer, which reflects the niggle of hostile young seamers. Penfold also finished as Auckland's third busiest bowler in HBJ Shield and Super Smash which was notable increase in her workload from her debut campaign.
Penfold was part of the White Ferns squad that toured West Indies recently and she didn't take a wicket in her 5ov across both formats. While Penfold has clear athletic talent, she is yet to dominate domestic cricket and a sizzling start to the summer will provide a hefty boost to Penfold's emerging mana.
Georgia Plimmer
Georgia Plimmer is another young wahine with blatant talent and her rise through Wellington's system, then into White Ferns reflects her natural ability. At some point Plimmer's potential needs to produce runs as the youngster averages 9.20 in LA and 10.16 in T20s, yet to register a 50+ score in her career.
Plimmer played all five T20Is against West Indies with 25 runs @ 8.33avg/83.3sr and popped up for an ODI where she scored 17 runs @ 53sr. Plimmer finished 25th for Super Smash runs and 27th for HBJ Shield runs last season, although she has been part of a winning Wellington group. Plimmer has the ability and opportunity to score runs for Wellington, she may even slide straight into the next White Ferns squad regardless of her domestic form.
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