2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand
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In which the White Ferns immediately start on the back foot by leaving out "their leading one-day international wicket-taker over the past five years"
White Ferns leave experienced spinner Leigh Kasperek out of World Cup squad
The White Ferns have left their leading one-day international wicket-taker over the past five years out of their World Cup squad.
There was no place for Wellington Blaze off-spinner Leigh Kasperek in the group of 15 announced on Thursday for the tournament on home soil, which begins on March 4.
Kasperek played in 26 of the White Ferns' 35 ODIs since the last World Cup, in England in 2017, taking 42 wickets at an average of 21.26 and a strike rate of 29.3, with an economy rate of 4.34
Those marks weren't bettered by any other White Ferns regular, and she was at the top of charts last year as well, taking 14 wickets at an average of 14.78, including a career-best 6-46 against Australia, after being dropped for the first series of the year, against England. She was recalled when injuries and other factors kept other spin options out of later series in 2021.
Coach Bob Carter said the call to leave Kasperek out had been a “challenging” one.
“I really felt for Leigh, she’s a really fine bowler. It was based around the balance of our team. We didn’t have any of the three spinners that we’ve selected for the World Cup in the UK, and it came down to a choice – would we take an extra spinner or would we take an extra batter, and that created a lot of debate.
“I really feel for her because she’s been a great member of the White Ferns, and it’s at times like that, as a selector or coach, that I wish I could have had another place.”
Teenage left-arm spinner Fran Jonas was the lone bolter, getting the nod after making two appearances against England last summer, where she bowled 11 overs and conceded 70 runs without taking a wicket.
Jonas is highly-rated as a bowler that can turn the ball away from right-handed batters and has impressed at domestic level with the Auckland Hearts.
Frankie Mackay's inclusion in the squad means there is still an off-spin option, and it's possible Jonas, Mackay and leg-spinner Melie Kerr could all feature in playing XIs, giving captain Sophie Devine a well-balanced spin attack.
Aside from the spin selection bombshell, the White Ferns squad was predictably similar to the one that toured England last September.
Devine and Melie Kerr will be joined in the top order by Suzie Bates and Amy Satterthwaite, while Katey Martin will wear the gloves.
Lauren Down, Maddy Green, and Brooke Halliday have been picked as specialist batters, while Green is likely to be the backup wicketkeeper.
Lea Tahuhu will lead a seam bowling unit that includes Hayley Jensen, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, and Hannah Rowe.
This World Cup will be the fourth for Devine, Satterthwaite, and Bates, and the third for Martin and Tahuhu.
In a statement, coach and selector Bob Carter said: “Naturally, there were some tough decisions and no doubt some disappointed players but as a selection group we felt this mix would give us the best chance.
“There’s a strong mix of youth and experience in this squad with several players having multiple World Cups under their belt.
“We also have a younger group coming through, six of which are yet to experience World Cup cricket - and it’s naturally a very exciting time for those players.”
The White Ferns last World Cup win was in 2000 on home soil, when they beat Australia in the final at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, near Christchurch.
They were semifinalists in 2005, runners-up in 2009, finished fourth in 2013, and fifth in 2017.
Heading into this tournament, they have won just three of their last 22 matches, most of which have been against favourites Australia and defending champions England.
The White Ferns' campaign starts against the West Indies. They then face Bangladesh, India, Australia, South Africa, England, and Pakistan, likely needing at least four wins to make the semifinals.
Before the World Cup, they will play India in a lone Twenty20 and five ODIs in Queenstown, using the same squad.
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@donsteppa in fairness to the selectors, they at least have a domestic competition to assess people on. Selection is more than statistics but it's still a tough call
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@nzzp said in 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand:
@donsteppa in fairness to the selectors, they at least have a domestic competition to assess people on. Selection is more than statistics but it's still a tough call
Unless something changed significantly behind the scenes in the recent Super Smash (which had sides like ND being bowled out for 46 at home), I wonder what Bob Carter and co were thinking. Or possibly overthinking...
From what we saw of the games v Oz at Bay Oval back in April, I think the Australians will see their job as (even) easier with that non-selection...
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The women's competition is still relatively weak. Kasperek and Tahuhu look like genuine allrounders with their batting but that doesn't translate to the international game.
I think that Carter will stack the team with batters and then use McKay as another spinner with A Kerr.
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@bovidae said in 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand:
The women's competition is still relatively weak. Kasperek and Tahuhu look like genuine allrounders with their batting but that doesn't translate to the international game.
It's a bit of an eye opener about the depth of the domestic competition when you see someone batting at 4 or 5 at domestic level, and then at 10 & 11 internationally...
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White Ferns are 155/5 at the innings break in the T20 warm up against India in Queenstown.
Though after watching how the Ashes played out, I think the WCWC is going to be a contest to see if anyone can ambush Australia in a knockout match and prevent their march to the title.
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Two good wins in the first two ODI's to the White Ferns so far.
I've only seen bits and pieces of both games. It seems to prove for the White Ferns a theory that, as long as one of Bates, Devine, or A. Kerr goes big with the bat, there's enough batting around them to make them a threat to all teams. All three are back together, and Bates in particular seems to have rediscovered her international form with that century.
As for India, they've now lost three games against a White Ferns side that, prior to this series, had this cheerful stat:
Wednesday’s win would nevertheless have been an important confidence boost for New Zealand’s women’s cricket team, which tasted success just four times in 19 outings in 2021 across both white-ball formats.
India also seem to be basing their batting around an anchor innings from Mithali Raj striking at 80. Which would once have been a great strategy for winning tournament ODI's, perhaps not so much these days though?
That said, too early to count India out - but good signs for us - and not so good signs for them ahead of the CWC.
On a frustrating Covid point of view, the venue packs sold last year for the CWC games have all just been cancelled today, because Red. That has particularly annoyed the Miss 10-year-old cricketer in our house, who had seven games at Bay Oval lined up...
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@donsteppa said in 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand:
Two good wins in the first two ODI's to the White Ferns so far.
I've only seen bits and pieces of both games. It seems to prove for the White Ferns a theory that, as long as one of Bates, Devine, or A. Kerr goes big with the bat, there's enough batting around them to make them a threat to all teams. All three are back together, and Bates in particular seems to have rediscovered her international form with that century.
As for India, they've now lost three games against a White Ferns side that, prior to this series, had this cheerful stat:
Wednesday’s win would nevertheless have been an important confidence boost for New Zealand’s women’s cricket team, which tasted success just four times in 19 outings in 2021 across both white-ball formats.
India also seem to be basing their batting around an anchor innings from Mithali Raj striking at 80. Which would once have been a great strategy for winning tournament ODI's, perhaps not so much these days though?
That said, too early to count India out - but good signs for us - and not so good signs for them ahead of the CWC.
On a frustrating Covid point of view, the venue packs sold last year for the CWC games have all just been cancelled today, because Red. That has particularly annoyed the Miss 10-year-old cricketer in our house, who had seven games at Bay Oval lined up...
It is a real shame when it is a once in 2 decades World Cup. To be fair to NZ, that top 5 of the 3 you mentioned plus Satterthwaite and Green is pretty decent. Bowling won't dismiss sides unless they have enough runs on the board.
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@donsteppa not sure today was a good win.
We won, but needed a bloody good innings to do it. The fielding was atrocious at times - so many dropped catches. By comparison, the Indians caught really well for quite a few overs before shelling chances.
Fun game though. Well played Amelia Kerr - to step up after our big 3 went cheaply was seriously impressive.
Separate note, I want (demand!) rules clarification on stumpings/runouts. The criteria yesterday was if a bail lights up, it's dislodged. I'm less convinced frankly, but if that's the test, then it should be clearly articulated and consistently applied.
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@nzzp said in 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand:
@donsteppa not sure today was a good win.
We won, but needed a bloody good innings to do it. The fielding was atrocious at times - so many dropped catches. By comparison, the Indians caught really well for quite a few overs before shelling chances.
Fun game though. Well played Amelia Kerr - to step up after our big 3 went cheaply was seriously impressive.
Separate note, I want (demand!) rules clarification on stumpings/runouts. The criteria yesterday was if a bail lights up, it's dislodged. I'm less convinced frankly, but if that's the test, then it should be clearly articulated and consistently applied.
Batting & bowling wise they're looking good going into the WC - but they had an absolute shocker in the field, sloppy fielding, dropped catches & just didn't attack the ball in the field... other than Melie Kerrs outstanding innings with the bat she was also easily the best fielder we had, just didn't stand there waiting for the ball to come to her, she attacked it with urgency running in stopping singles etc.
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Hard to have a more emphatic result than that in the last warm up game. After conceding 321 to Australia, the White Ferns clased it down with 325/1 and with 6.5 overs to spare...!
Sophie Devine 157 (116, and Amedlia Kerr with 92 (75) being the not out batters, Suzie Bates scoring 63.
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@donsteppa said in 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand:
Hard to have a more emphatic result than that in the last warm up game. After conceding 321 to Australia, the White Ferns clased it down with 325/1 and with 6.5 overs to spare...!
Sophie Devine 157 (116, and Amedlia Kerr with 92 (75) being the not out batters, Suzie Bates scoring 63.
That is Primo!! Was that at the mount today? I drove past and there was a bit of activity there
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@hooroo said in 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand:
@donsteppa said in 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand:
Hard to have a more emphatic result than that in the last warm up game. After conceding 321 to Australia, the White Ferns clased it down with 325/1 and with 6.5 overs to spare...!
Sophie Devine 157 (116, and Amedlia Kerr with 92 (75) being the not out batters, Suzie Bates scoring 63.
That is Primo!! Was that at the mount today? I drove past and there was a bit of activity there
Game today was at Lincoln, but Bay Oval might have been getting ready for the opening ceremony?
Normally I'd have been at Blake Park late afternoon to see what was happening nearby, but about half of one of the kid's cricket teams is out of action with Covid in their households...
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