Wellington Blaze team named

CRICKET WELLINGTON MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday 30 November 2011

Wellington Blaze team named for Women’s domestic season opener

The Wellington Blaze team to meet the Otago Sparks at Brooklands Park, Mosgiel in the opening round of the 2011-12 domestic Women’s Action Cricket Cup One-Day and Action Cricket Twenty20 competitions on 2, 3 and 4 December is:

Megan Wakefield (Captain)
Michelle Bunkall
Lucy Doolan
Deeana Doherty
Allex Evans
Melinda Hodgson
Renee Moffitt
Elizabeth Perry
Sian Ruck
Andrea Stockwell
Kelly Sutherland
Sarah Taylor

This weekend against Otago is the first of five full rounds of three days’ cricket for the Blaze against the other Major Association women’s teams, the Sparks, the Canterbury Magicians, the Central Hinds, the Auckland Hearts and the Northern Spirit.

Action Cricket Twenty20 matches will be played on the first and third days of each round and Action Cricket Cup 50-over fixtures will be contested on the second day.

Blaze captain and top order batswoman Megan Wakefield is returning for her third season as the team’s on field leader and said that the squad is hugely excited about the campaign ahead. “The girls are really keen and pumped up for the season and for the chance to challenge for some more silverware and we are all looking forward to getting under way on Friday,” Wakefield said.

Wakefield said that the squad is well balanced, adding that the team’s core group of international players, White Ferns Liz Perry, Lucy Doolan and Sian Ruck, and English international Sarah Taylor, will offset the loss of last year’s Women’s Domestic Player of the Year Sophie Devine. Devine is taking a break from the game to concentrate on her quest of making the New Zealand women’s hockey team for the London Olympics in 2012.

“It’s great to have the added experience of these players and they will no doubt have big influences on our games and will also help guide some of the younger players.

“Sarah Taylor is back for another season after coming in partway through last summer and she is really excited to be here. She will bring different ideas and skills that will benefit all of the Blaze girls this year. Her batting last year was world-class so we hope she will again be in the runs.”

“Sophie Devine is a huge loss to any team she plays for, but we are all 100 percent behind her Olympic dream and she is right behind us in our journey this season.”

Wakefield said to look out for the younger players coming through such as Deanna Doherty, as well as for the experienced Kelly Sutherland, who has previously played for the Central Hinds and the Auckland Hearts.

“We have named Deanna Doherty in our twelve for Otago for the first time. She is an eighteen year old with a huge future in the game. I am excited to see her playing and showing what she can do. Kelly Sutherland is also likely to play her first game for Wellington this weekend but has considerable first-class experience, having previous played for Central and Auckland.”

The Blaze are enjoying working with new coach Leigh Kelly, who has replaced Mark Borthwick after he stepped down from the role in the off-season. “Leigh Kelly has slotted in really well and has some great ideas in getting the best out of everyone so things are looking good.”

Wakefield said that the Blaze are confident of starting the season off on a winning note in Mosgiel.”We’re a side that travels really well so we are not fazed by heading south first up – we’re really looking forward to it.”

Last year, the Blaze beat Otago by 248 runs in their Action Cricket Cup 50-over contest, scoring 289 for 8 and bowling the Sparks out for 41. In the two Twenty20 matches the Blaze defeated Otago by 5 and 7 wickets respectively.

Overall, the Blaze finished runners-up in 2010-11 behind the Canterbury Magicians in both competitions, missing out to them in the Twenty20 final at home at the Hawkins Basin Reserve and in the 50-over final in Christchurch.

The Wellington Blaze’s full Action Cricket Cup and Action Cricket One-Day competition schedule this summer is:
Wellington Blaze’s draw for the 2011-12 domestic women’s season is:
• Friday 2 – Sunday 4 December v Otago Sparks, Brooklands Park, Mosgiel
• Friday 9 – Sunday 11 December v Northern Spirit, Barton Oval Upper Hutt
• Tuesday 27 – Thursday 29 December v Canterbury Magicians, Bert Sutcliffe Oval Lincoln
• Monday 2 January – Wednesday 4 January v Auckland Hearts, Kelburn Park Wellington
• Saturday 7 January – Monday 9 January v Central hinds, Fitzherbert Park Palmerston North
• Saturday 14 January – Action Cricket Cup (50-over) final TBC
• Sunday 15 January – Action Cricket Twenty20 final TBC

ENDS

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