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Kiwi Cricket Kōrero host and writer Ellie Indie writes on the White Ferns’ T20 World Cup squad with the key talking points (originally written 23/1/23)
New Zealand have announced their Women’s T20 World Cup squad that will face the likes of Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh — who they recently faced in a home T20i series — and Sri Lanka in the host nation South Africa.
The Ferns’ record in the T20 World Cup to date has been downhill. With two second places in the first two editions, they’ve bowed out as semi finalists twice and in the past two T20 World Cups, have exited the competition in the group stage.
New Zealand hasn’t had much success in World Cups in either format. The last and only New Zealand women’s side to win a world cup was an Emily Drumm led unit that saw victory against the Aussies infront of a home crowd in 2000.
Their squad differs greatly to their previous T20 World Cup squad, with active players Leigh Kasperek, Rosemary Mair, Holly Huddleston and Katie Perkins and retired Katey Martin and Anna Peterson not returning for another stint.
White Ferns Women’s T20 World Cup squad:
Sophie Devine ©, Suzie Bates, Bernadine Bezuidenhout (wk), Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.
Returning to the squad is wicketkeeper-batter Bernadine Bezuidenhout for the first time in 4 years, with regulars Izzy Gaze, Jess McFadyen and Rosemary Mair missing out on a place in the World Cup squad.
Off-spinner Eden Carson and seamer Molly Penfold are added to the squad in what will be their first ICC World Cup.
Fran Jonas and Georgia Plimmer are already in South Africa, their participation in the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup will not only get them ready for the T20 World Cup but able to give their senior side vital information on the environment and conditions in SA.
Here are all the key points surrounding the squad:
What will it take for Leigh Kasperek?
New Zealand made the decision to leave her out of their squad in the India ODI and T20i home series just before the home Women’s Cricket World Cup — which she was also omitted from. It would make sense if she were in a period of poor form, but she wasn’t. It was quite the opposite actually.
She was axed from the New Zealand set up after their away series to England, where they lost 2–1. Despite being the highest wicket taker (6) in the T20i series, Kasperek had been shown the front door by New Zealand and hasn’t been selected for any of the White Ferns tournament or bilateral squads since.
Following the unexpected shun, Kasperek finished the leading wicket taker in the 2021–22 Women’s Super Smash, 20 wickets from 11 innings (a joint Women’s Super Smash record) at 4.99 runs per over and a 9.35 average, striking at 11.25. Kasperek also prides herself on her ability to offer last minute middle order runs, from 9 innings handing her side a handy 159 runs. Her best knock of 60* off 43 coming against the Central Hinds with a whopping 10 fours.
She’s also currently the second highest wicket taker in the Women’s Super Smash, with 15 wickets from 8 innings for her record breaking Wellington Blaze side. A handy rpo of 5.93 and strike rate of 12.00, the Wellington all rounder shows no signs of slowing down despite her omissions.
It really does beg the question: What will it take for Leigh Kasperek to find her way into the New Zealand set up?
McFadyen, Gaze and Mair all miss out.
Jess McFadyen had to wait for over a year for her White Ferns debut, finally making the XI in the ODIs despite having a T20i to her name. In fitting fashion, she was named to make her debut versus Bangladesh at the Hagley Oval, but had fallen ill before she could take the field. Her first proper game would come a week later against the same team, for the first ODI of the series on the 11th.
McFadyen had a modest international outing, she took a stumping and a catch from 2 innings, and didnt get a chance to bat. Perhaps not the platform she would have wanted in order to bid on her place in the World Cup, but one look into her current Super Smash campaign tells you all you need to know about her form.
With 9 stumpings and 8 wicketkeeper catches, she sits at the top of both charts — statistically the best wicketkeeper in the current Super Smash. McFadyen has been alert and involved in plenty dismissals, but unfortunately without much runs. She’s only batted 6 times out of 9, coming in towards the back end amongst the tailenders with not much time to bat.
It’s a tricky situation for the keeper, originally called up to the central contract system for her batting in the HBJ, now unable to shine with the bat under circumstances — and misses out on the White Ferns T20 World Cup squad, making way for Bezuidenhout.
Rosemary Mair was a member of the New Zealand 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup squad, only bowling 5 overs from the 3 games she played in and picked up 2 wickets. Though she’s been a frequent member of the White Ferns troupe for some years, she’s missed out in recent series.
Mair is having a mare as of late. From the HBJ to the Super Smash: Mair is struggling. Ben Sawyer wanted his players to dominate the domestic comps before they jetted out to South Africa, unfortunately for the Central Hinds bowler she’s been unable to find the form to do so.
From 10 innings, she’s picked up 4 wickets going at 7.11 an over averaging 48.00 with the ball. In a pace attack with Hannah Rowe and Claudia Green, she’d want to be up there with the two in the table.
Mair is a special bowler, her variations and ability to seam the ball both ways makes her not only a go-to bowler in tricky situations, but generally a batter’s worst fear. She’s changing her game lately, and it isnt working out for her. It’ll be a trip back to the drawing board for her in the off-season to make sure she can make her way back to her best and the national set up.
Izzy Gaze is another keeper that’s been left out of the side too after replacing Katey Martin as the national team wicket keeper. She’s been capped 13 times for the national side, but hasn’t been called upon for the World Cup.
Gaze is currently in South Africa with the New Zealand U19s side, who’ve won 3 from 3 in their group stage games as well as bouncing back by winning their first Super Sixes match vs Rwanda.
Gaze has only batted once in 4 games, in which she scored 0 off 2. She’s not kept much either, with Antonia Hamilton taking up duties behind the stumps, though has 2 stumpings from the 2 games she’s played as keeper.
Gaze’s exclusion isn’t really to do with how well or poorly she’s been doing — because she’s stood up in the Super Smash — but rather the current situation in the side with call up of Bernie Bezuidenhout. This keeps Gaze out of her first choice keeping role, and with New Zealand opting for an extra bowler in the squad she’s been squeezed out to make way.
Bezuidenhout bounces back into White Ferns set up.
Bernie Bezuidenhout last played for New Zealand in 2020, featuring in an ODI versus South Africa in Auckland. Since then, she’s gone on a remarkable journey to fight her way back to health and to play cricket again. She took 2 years out of the game due to a RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) diagnosis.
Now she’s back and she’s on a comeback mission. After making a mark across the domestic scene at the start of the season in the HBJ, Bezuidenhout has batted finely in the Super Smash to reclaim her place in the New Zealand squad. Coming off a stellar knock in just her second game back, Bezuidenhout reached her second 100 in List A cricket 93 balls. The game ended in a no result, but a handy knock for the returning batter.
Bezuidenhout currently sits 11th in the runs in the Super Smash after 7 games — she’s scored 136 runs at 19.42, striking at 109.67 with a top score of 41 off 30 against Otago. They’re impressive numbers, and given her familiarity with the T20 World Cup, featuring in the 2018 edition, the wicketkeeper-batter is added to her second squad in the tournament.
Bezuidenhout will know the South African conditions rather well, being born there and having played her domestic and international cricket for the World Cup host nation from 2005–2015, with 4 ODI and 7 T20i caps for the side. Not only will she be able to decipher the environment, but also the South African side too, as she’ll be coming up against some familiar faces.
Here’s what head coach Ben Sawyer had to say on Bezuidenhout’s inclusion.
“For the past seven or eight months we’ve been looking to establish a brand of cricket which we believe spectators will enjoy and, at the same time, gives us the best possible chance of success in major tournaments
“With both the bat in hand and her work behind the stumps, we believe that Bernie will contribute positively to that style of play.
“Bernie has already shown this season what she can do with both bat and gloves, and we think that her previous international experience will stand her in good stead in this World Cup.
“She has gone on quite a journey to return to cricket this season and we’re really looking forward to welcoming her back into the WHITE FERNS environment.”
Pacey power.
New Zealand bring 6 pacers despite the recent conditions in South Africa suggesting the spinners will find great success. Tour coach Morne Morkel, former South African men’s quick, will look to work alongside the seamers to get the most out of them during the World Cup.
Lea Tahuhu and Hannah Rowe have been incredibly successful in the Super Smash, both with economy rates under 6. They’ll be key in the powerplay and middle overs where they’ve seen greatest impact for their domestic teams so far.
Molly Penfold has been added to the World Cup squad having made her T20i debut for the White Ferns in October versus the West Indies. Penfold has come under scrutiny in her recent Super Smash campaign as being inaccurate with the largest wides and no-ball counts in the competition. The Auckland pacer is quick — probably one of the fastest going around in the circuit at the moment — but Morkel will need to work with her closely to make sure she flattens the extras out of her game.
Jess Kerr is a player to keep an eye on. She’s made a lasting impact since her international debut in 2020, since then she’s gone on to play in overseas leagues like the WBBL for the Brisbane Heat, and drafted in The Hundred for the London Spirit. The key behind her success is the lethal swing she gets on the ball, which catches the batters out more often than not. Sister Amelia Kerr has looked in Jess’ direction for impacts in the Super Smash, where she’s currently joint 7th with 10 wickets at 5.57 rpo from just 7 innings.
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