Sarah Tsukigawa
Former White Fern Sarah Tsukigawa uses her cricketing experience and knowledge to provide updates about women's cricket.
The White Ferns will look to start their tour on the front foot against an England side eager to carry on their winning ways.
The series looms as a great opportunity for the New Zealanders to beat the world number ones, who will be without key performers Claire Taylor and Katherine Brunt. Taylor recently called it quits on her 126 game career, while Brunt is being given a rest for the series. In previous seasons Taylor has been the backbone of the English batting line up while Brunt has also caused the Kiwis trouble, often putting the White Ferns on the back foot early in their innings by taking quick wickets.
England will now be looking to 20 year old pace bowler Anya Shrubsole to provide some early discomfort for the White Ferns.
England’s batting will be based around 152 cap veteran Charlotte Edwards, who averages a formidable 36 in ODIs. Edwards along with Sarah Taylor could provide a few headaches for the White Ferns if they aren’t dismissed early.
The highlight of the White Fern’s Australian tour was the emergence of Auckland’s Maddie Green and Katie Perkins. The pair found their feet early during their debut international series and now have another opportunity to impress against the English at home.
The White Ferns improved dramatically in the latter stages of their Australian tour and showed signs of real potential for the future. Regaining confidence after losing a series is key and this team are on the right track to produce a run of top performances.
The White Ferns will be looking to their own experienced players to cash in on the fast Bert Sutcliffe pitches and outfields with the ODIs are expected to be a high scoring affairs. The Twenty20 matches should also produce plenty of runs, especially at the smaller Queens Park ground in Invercargill.
The intriguing series kicks off on the 17th of February when the two teams face off at Westpac Stadium in Wellington in in the first of five Twenty20’s .
