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Kiwi Cricket Kōrero host and writer Ellie Indie writes on who the New Zealand U19 players are with key information involved (originally written 17/1/23)
New Zealand has undergone a massive transformation both regionally and nationally in their bid to develop their emerging talents. Part of the whole pathways revamp was down to the announcement of the ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup four years prior, now the Ferns have prepped the finest young cricketers in the country for both the tournament and the future. New Zealand being a full member skipped the qualification process to go straight through to Group C.
For the inaugural U19 World Cup, held in South Africa, New Zealand find themselves in Group C alongside Indonesia, Ireland and the Windies U19 sides.
It’s worth noting that this won’t be New Zealand’s first U19 Women’s team, back in early 2021, NZC announced an 18 player U19 side to take on the New Zealand Women Police XI with the likes of former NZ internationals Katie Perkins, Sarah Burke, Georgia Guy and Erin Bermingham. A handful of players who earned themselves a place in the newly established team also find themselves in this U19 World Cup’s squad, like Izzy Gaze, Tash Codyre, Georgia Plimmer and Kayley Knight.
New Zealand brings an elite coaching line up inexperienced White Fern Sara McGlashan, with her assistant coaches and former Auckland Aces representatives Donovan Grobbelaar and Tarun Nethula. All three coaches were also a part of the staff that oversaw NZ’s first overseas development tour.
But who are the players? Which regions do they play for and how well have they been doing around the comps? Find out here!
Olivia Anderson
Bat: RHB | Ball: Right arm medium-fast
Plays for: Auckland U19
Olivia Anderson is in a unique crew within this squad — she’s just one of three players not to have featured for her senior domestic side yet. So it begs the question — what have the New Zealand selectors seen in Anderson?
The answer is most likely her incredible potential. A Parnell Cricket Club product, Anderson has spent time in the Auckland age ranks from as young as 15. Anderson’s main trade is her rapid bowling, taking 4 wickets in the recent National Under 19s tournament at a strike rate of 28.50. Her career to date has been mild, with not too many performances and outings behind her — but that’s what this World Cup is all about.
An advantage to Anderson’s lack of domestic cricket could be that players are unsure how to face her. New Zealand have the most international cricketers in their sides, teams will know how to pick out these players and work to their weaknesses based on what they’ve already seen of them. Anderson brings variety to this well known squad; she’s new and fresh to these teams, and will be hard for them to crack the code.
Exposure at this level for Anderson before her domestic career could help her set up for greatness amongst the Auckland crew — a side that has produced innovative and quick bowlers like Arlene Kelly, Holly Huddleston, Molly Penfold and Amie Hucker. We could see Anderson etch her name into that talented pace pack soon, and shock those watching this World Cup.
Anna Browning
Bat: RHB | Ball: Legbreak
Plays for: Auckland Hearts, NZ-W Dev
Anna Browning comes into the U19 World Cup fresh off a successful campaign with the New Zealand indoor U22 women, where they saw victory over their Aussie equivalents for the title. She made her Auckland Hearts debut on boxing day following the announcement of her place in the New Zealand U19 squad for the world cup.
The top order batting-allrounder is no newbie to the domestic circuit however, making her first Hearts U19 appearance in 2019 at just 16.
In her second year, Browning stood out in the Auckland pack. She was their highest run scorer and 6th overall with 183 at 30.50. More impressive though; a 5-wicket haul she was able to claim in just 4 overs. It would be the only overs she’d bowl in the tournament too, leaving her with the best bowling figures that year. Not bad for a part timer!
Her final year would prove to be her best batting wise, from 6 innings she powered herself to 222 runs, including three 50+ scores, at 37. She was second in the charts overall just behind skipper Emma Irwin (NZ U19 reserve), who saw it wise to give Browning more outings with the ball after her epic cameo the season before. It resulted in 6 wickets at an economy rate of 4.31; Browning clearly working on perfecting her all round talents during the off season.
Browning was a member of the first NZ women’s development side to tour overseas, playing 3 matches versus India’s U19 women, picking up 3 wickets during her time. Present day, the North Shore batter has featured in 3 of Auckland’s Super Smash matches playing a key role in their win against Otago at Queenstown, opening up with 42 off 43.
Browning’s career to date has grown from strength to strength with every passing season, and it’s clear she’s on the verge of something great. She’s a developing player due a big breakout, and she’s been given a mega platform for that.
Kate Chandler
Bat: RHB | Ball: Legbreak googly
Plays for: Wellington Blaze, Wellington U19
Kate Chandler is familiar to most as the 14 year old who took a five wicket haul against a strong Canterbury Magicians side in a HBJ Shield — match in just her third game. 2 years later, she’s one of the youngest members in the Ferns U19 World Cup camp and a National U19 tournament champion.
Her story draws comparisons to that of her Wellington skipper Amelia Kerr, renowned herself for making a massive impact at both international & domestic levels from as young as 14.
Chandler’s debut at 14 and 29 days was enough for people’s heads to turn and start paying attention, but what followed her in debut HBJ campaign really reeled people into the leggie’s game. She’d broken a record previously held by Amelia Kerr, who was the youngest player in the history of the 50 over tournament.
Winner of Wellington’s 2021–22 Provincial A Women’s Player of the Year, Chandler has racked up an impressive 12 wickets from just 11 HBJ games. In just her second day of domestic cricket, she dismantled Central Hinds’ top order to end Nat Dodd’s stint on 22, Tomlinson and Greig on 4 in the span of 10 overs and changing the trajectory of the game, with 3–39.
It was her 5–41 that really put her on the map, with a star studded Canterbury lineup en route to another batting masterclass, Chandler struck leaving the side from 117–4 in 34 overs to 155 all out in 46.1. With wickets of star batter Ebrahim, keeper Hughes and pacers Sims, Tahuhu and Sullivan
Chandler also offers much with the bat, admitting recently her ambition to attain the allrounder title. Scores of 32* and 29 easy back up her claims, a handy couple of runs from her in this New Zealand side could make the difference between a winning total, and a losing one.
Natasha (Tash) Codyre
Bat: RHB | Ball: Right arm medium
Plays for: Wellington Blaze, Wellington U19, NZ-W Dev
Tash Codyre has featured in a handful of Wellington squads and XI for her to know her way around the domestic circuit. She was also a member of the first New Zealand women’s development side to tour overseas, where she took a wicket in her travels.
An emerging cricketer, Codyre first made an impression on the Wellington unit when she found herself 2nd in the wicket taking charts during the 2020–21 National U19 tournament, with a best of 4–32 and an economy of 5.12.
Making her debut for the Wellington Blaze toward the back end of the HBJ Shield 2019–20, where in her fourth game took a three wicket haul for fifty runs. Codyre’s short but sweet stint earned her a regular place in the 50 over side, as well as a 2 game outing in the Super Smash.
She’s yet to cement her place in the Wellington side given the sheer quality and competiton for a place in the currently record breaking squad, but Tash Codyre is destined for a handy U19 World Cup given her experience at the top level.
Isabella (Izzy) Gaze
Bat: RHB | Wicketkeeper
Plays for: White Ferns, Auckland Hearts, NZ-W Dev
Izzy Gaze’s rise to the top has been rapid. With the White Ferns left with a Katey Martin shaped hole at the end of a tough home World Cup, Gaze was fast tracked to the top and offered a central contract — allowing her to pick up the gloves.
She’s since taken 5 dismissals in her first 6 internationals, and has a bronze medal from the Ferns’ 3rd place in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. All this at just 18. Gaze’s senior career started just days after she’d completed her first season in the national U19 competition. While she’d not had many outings with the bat, just the 26 runs from the 4 innings, it was a successful campaign in regard to her key skill behind the stumps with 5 catches off 7.
Since her step up to the main Hearts side, she’s scored 110 runs in 14 innings at an average of 11.00 floating around the top and middle order, with gallant efforts behind the stumps to secure her 4 catches and 3 stumpings in what is the early stages of her domestic career.
The numbers don’t paint the full picture however, tha Haarlem born wicketkeeper consistently changes position in the order making it hard to find a groove to fit into. Coming in at 4, Gaze had a short but sweet outing ain the Super Smash for Auckland in which she scored her highest T20 total in a winning cause for her side. Alongside skipper and White Fern teammate Lauren Down, she was able to put up 26 runs off 25 with two key 4s and some handy strike rotation that got her side over the line.
Antonia Hamilton
Bat: RHB | Wicketkeeper
Plays for: Wellington Blaze, Wellington U19
Shortly before the announcement of her first contract to the Wellington Blaze, wicketkeeper batter Antonia Hamilton won the Under 22’s Indoor Cricket World Cup. She also won the Judith Sadler Cup, awarded to her for her efforts at club level — she’d scored the most runs (601).
Hamilton also won the national U19 competition for the Blaze alongside Kate Chandler and earned her second and third call up to her domestic side. It’s been a busy few weeks for the Hutt District wicketkeeper.
Hamilton finished 5th in the overall run scoring charts (245) with a trophy to take away from the national U19 tournament. A best of 39 off 37 coming against Canterbury at the top of the order, Hamilton looks to be the opener at the next level.
The keeper has been impressive in her return to the Wellington one day set up — her first games back after 2020. Two stumpings in her return and a catch the day after, it’s hard to tell whether she will take the gloves given fierce competition from senior international Izzy Gaze. While she may not win that battle, it can be certain she can lead from the front and build a stable foundation for her peers to build on.
Abigail Hotton
Bat: RHB | Ball: Right arm Offbreak
Plays for: Canterbury U19
Abigail Hotton hasn’t yet debuted for the Canterbury Magicians senior side like her U19 skipper Izzy Sharp, but her junior performances have been more than enough to catch the New Zealand U19 selectors’ attention.
Hotton was given limited outings for her side in this year’s U19 tournamnet, only playing in the 50 over games, with 144 runs and 7 wickets — including a 4 fer — in just 4 innings. Her impact in short time in both departments was impressive, but it doesn’t just stop there for the Lincoln born offie.
She also boasted the joint third highest number of catches overall being at the end of 4 wickets, one behind fellow Cantab Maggie Martin. Hotton’s time in the competition had earned her a spot in the New Zealand Women’s U19 squad for the U19 World Cup.
Hotton also featured in the New Zealand Women Development series with the Bates & Devine U19 XIs where she took 2 wickets at just over 6 rpo.
Fran Jonas
Bat: RHB | Ball: Slow left arm orthodox
Plays for: White Ferns, Auckland Hearts
Fran Jonas was 14 when she broke out into Auckland’s Under-21 team, 15 on Auckland Hearts debut, 16 when she made her debut for the White Ferns and became National Under 19 champion at 17. It’s been a quick rise for the Auckland born spinner, with over 20 international caps and 21 wickets to go along with it at just 18 and has also featured for New Zealand’s women’s U22 indoors team. To say it’s a massively impressive resume for the left arm spinner would be an understatement.
Her ODI debut came in February 2021 in a shock call up at Christchurch against England in a home series which saw the visitors claim a 2–1 win against the Kiwis. In her first game she went for 31 runs in 5, her first over being a maiden versus Tammy Beaumont. It would take Jonas a whole year to find her place back in the ODI squad, coming into the India series pre-World Cup. She also made T20i debut in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, coming away from the tournament with 3 wickets — a best of 2–22 vs England in the 3rd place play off — and a bronze medal.
Jonas also recently took part in the Women’s Super Smash before departing to South Africa alongside teammates Izzy Gaze and Anna Browning, with a stellar effort versus Otago both home and away. Olivia Gain fell to Jonas on a first ball duck via lbw, then the left arm spinner (2–29) saw the end of the dangerous Kate Ebrahim. She’d started off her next and final game with a double wicket maiden (Gain and Polly Inglis) and finished off Suzie Bates’ match winning innings to take figures of 3–20.
A crafty bowler with a mean arm ball, Fran Jonas has the potential to be one of New Zealand women’s best white ball bowlers with a long career ahead. The youngest player to have received an NZC development contract, Jonas has been waiting in the wings for some time coming. Her experiences in both national and domestic setups will make her a vital cog in this U19 side machine.
Kayley Knight
Bat: RHB | Ball: Right arm fast-medium
Plays for: Northern Districts, NZ-W Dev
Daughter of former Northern Brave spinner Melinda Knight, Kayley Knight has recently found her place in the domestic side; with a handy stint in the 2022–23 Super Smash in the build up to the World Cup. 3 wickets from 2 innings including her 2–27 against the Central Hinds.
Knight currently has 14 caps for her native side, with the most coming from her HBJ Shield outings. She’s had a decent start to her career in the longer format — claiming 10 wickets at 6.17 rpo and a healthy 29 average. Her best figures coming in the form of a three wicket haul against the Central Hinds again — a clear favourite of hers.
She was the most successful bowler in the New Zealand Women’s development side in India, taking 10 wickets from 5 games; 6 more than the next NZ bowler. She also finished the tour with some neat numbers, a SR of 8.40 and an average of 9.10 with a best of 4–24 coming in the 3rd match, including a caught and bowled.
Knight comes into the U19 World Cup looking the best of the pace pack on recent form which she’ll be looking to keep throughout the tournament.
Louisa Kotkamp
Bat: RHB | Ball: Right arm medium
Plays for: Otago U19
Louisa Kotkamp was a late addition into the Ferns U19 side, replacing left-arm pacer Breearne Illing who was forced to withdraw from the World Cup due to injury. Kotkamp currently uncapped for her local Otago Sparks, the right arm bowler takes up captaincy duties as Otago U19 skipper, a side that powered their way to 5th in a competitive year in the U19 tournament.
A product of the Kaikorai Cricket Club, Kotkamp was added to the Otago Sparks emerging set up in early 2022, set up to support budding cricketers in the region in the absence of a proper club cricket system. Highly rated in the area, Kotkamp has made waves from as young as 15 — taking a hat-trick at the NZ U15 tournament.
Kotkamp’s first season in the U19 tournament saw her pick up 5 wickets (best of 2–23) at 5.85 an over. A similar story in her second year too — this time as skipper — with once more 5 wickets with the same best figures, at a better economy rate of 5.19. Kotkamp also stepped it up with her batting, producing scores of 36 and 27.
Paige Loggenberg
Bat: RHB | Ball: Right arm medium-fast
Plays for: Otago Sparks, Otago U19, NZ-W Dev
Paige Loggenberg hails from the Queenstown Cricket Club, so when she featured in the Otago Sparks side that dominated the Wellington Blaze at the Sir John Davies Oval for the HBJ Shield — a trophy at her home ground for her domestic side at just 19 is sure to be a lifetime achievement for the Otago pacer.
Loggenberg has made 22 Otago U19 appearances to date, first starting off in the 2019–20 edition where she turned out handy with the bat; an impressive 49* off 73, coming in at eight and top scoring for her Otago side on the day. She also finished with a wicket in the match, bowling future NZ Development teammate Ashtuti Kumar.
Her final season in the age group competition was her best. Finishing 4th highest run scorer overall with 214 runs and an average of 71.33, Loggenberg stepped it up. Two 50+ scores, 73* off 112 and 51* off 48, her performances allowed her a place on the selectors radar, finding herself a part of the Bates-Devine U19 development series and later the Dev side in India.
Loggenberg offers lots to this NZ U19 side, a handy middle order bat and can pick up wickets with her extreme pace.
Emma McLeod
Bat: RHB | Ball: Right arm Offbreak
Plays for: Central Hinds (Districts), CD U19
Emma McLeod had a blistering outing with the bat for the Central Hinds Under 19 outfit during the age group tournament, finishing highest run scorer in the tournament after 4 one dayers and 3 T20’s.
Featuring in the first Central Districts Women’s A side in over 20 years versus the Northern Districts A side, in which she took a surprising 3 wickets for 8 runs in 1.3 overs and scored a quick fire 50* in. Coming off the back of that performance it was all eye on McLeod, expecting that she would have a similar impact in McLeod’s second year in the U19 competition, which she did.
Scoring just over a quarter of her team’s runs, McLeod ramped up an impressive 50 over campaign with 262 runs at an average of 131.00, with two 50+ scores and a 100* to her name in 4 innings. Though not as successful in the wickets, McLeod’s main job in this World Cup will be to bring the goods up top and offer a part time spin here and there.
Georgia Plimmer
Bat: RHB | Ball: Right arm medium
Plays for: White Ferns, Wellington Blaze
Georgia Plimmer first became known to audiences outside of New Zealand when she was called up to replace Lauren Down in their World Cup squad due to an injury. Despite the call up, Plimmer was on the bench for the whole tournament and instead made her ODI debut 7 months later.
Since then, she’d earned herself a central contract, a place and bronze in the 2022 Commonwealth Games with a T20I debut, a tour to the Windies and a place in the U19 World Cup squad. She’s just one of 3 players (Izzy Gaze and Fran Jonas) to have made her senior international debut before her U19 debut.
Plimmer’s break out season was the 2021–22 campaign that ultimately earned her a White Ferns call up. A Super Smash tournament that saw her claim 133 runs opening up for the Wellington Blaze with four 20+ scores and a best of 34 versus Canterbury. Though Plimmer is a handy top order batter, audiences will most know her for her epic catches. She’s often found lurking in the deep and putting in the yard to make her trademark leaps.
If there’s anyone in this U19’s side you want at the receiving end of a wicket, it’s Georgia Plimmer.
Izzy Sharp (Captain)
Bat: RHB
Plays for: Canterbury Magicians, Canterbury U19
If there’s any Kiwi player from this World Cup (not already capped) due a senior Ferns call up in the coming months, look no further than Izzy Sharp. A confident player who has heaps of control over her shots and running between the sticks, the Timaru-born batter was not only a perfect choice for captain; but a solid pick in that top order.
Sharp’s strong point in the National U19 tournament was easily the T20, in the last batch of games scoring a staggering — and her best innings of the competition — 73 off 54 balls vs Auckland and landing on top in the 6’s. Finishing the 7th highest run scorer, with 205 runs at 29.29, Sharp’s earned herself a place in not only her native Canterbury Magicians side, but as the U19’s captain too.
One innings as of late before the World Cup commenced told you all you needed to know about Izzy Sharp — a 17 of 16 with two 4’s alongside experienced Magician Amy Sattherthwaite in which Sharp carried herself with immense class in only her first game. Izzy Sharp is a key player for all her teams in years to come.
Natasha (Tash) Wakelin
Bat: RHB | Ball: Right arm offbreak
Plays for: Northern Brave (Districts), ND U19 & A
Tash Wakelin started this season in stellar form. She was picked for the Northern Districts A team that took on the Central Hinds A side in a 2 format, 2 game affair. The highest run scorer from the meetup, with 95 runs at 125 strike rate, Wakelin made a case to the ND selectors for a T20 debut. Wakelin had already previously had 2 HBJ games to her name, and had featured in all of her side’s games before travelling to South Africa
The U19 competition provided a massive platform for Wakelin to prove her case, finishing the second highest run scorer overall behind Emma McLeod with 308 runs averaging 51.33 and striking at an appealing 3rd highest in the comp 111.19.
Though her top of the order antics were the real selling point of her season, Wakelin offers a handy right arm spin option — she took 5 wickets at 4.06 rpo, a best of 2–27, bowling the most overs out of anyone in her side. Leading from the front as Northern Brave’s U19 & A skipper, there’s no doubt the Bay Of Plenty cricketer will have much to offer in all aspect from the U19 World Cup.
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