Amy Sattherwaite and Morna Nielsen are the latest WHITE FERNS to book their UK summer adventure, signing up to England’s Kia Super League, which gets underway in late July.
All rounder Sattherwaite is heading to the Lancashire Thunder, while Nielsen’s left arm orthodox spin will be added to the star studded Southern Vipers line up, which already includes fellow WHITE FERNS Suzie Bates and Sara McGlashan.
The pair’s late inclusion into the inaugural T20 competition takes the New Zealand total of players to six, a number that has national coach Haidee Tiffen buzzing.
“We’re delighted to see so many WHITE FERNS getting a crack over there,” Tiffen told blackcaps.co.nz.
“It’s more game time for them and more opportunity to play under pressure at a high level and in different conditions which is all so valuable.
“I told our team when I got this role - that we gain respect through performance. This past year we’ve certainly performed on the global stage and we know that we are a team to be reckoned with. Our players have been putting their hands up and it’s being rewarded, so I couldn’t be happier for them.”
Playing as an overseas professional has only really become a genuine option for women cricketers in the past season, with the advent of Australia’s T20 Woman’s Big Bash.
Tiffen fully backed her players looking for such opportunities outside of New Zealand and felt the recent signings reflected the growing status of the women’s game.
“It will grow their game and grow them as individuals, so we’re really supportive of them playing overseas and I’m really excited for the players moving forward. It’s a transition into this semi professional era and we want to support our players through that.
“It shows there are fans and people out there who value and want to watch women’s cricket. New Zealand Cricket are right behind the woman’s game and are looking at ways we can increase participation from grass roots right through to the top here in our own backyard,” she added.
As well as growing the players themselves, Tiffen’s fully aware of the other tangible benefit to the WHITE FERNS.
“A year out from a World Cup, to get six players over there to play in those English conditions is just so valuable for us. They get to play against the best players in the world and under different pressures such as being on TV and playing as an overseas pro.”
The other two players featuring in the Kia Super League are Rachel Priest and Sophie Devine, who have been signed by the Western Storm and Loughborough Lightning respectively.
The WHITE FERNS have their second winter camp in early July which runs alongside the regional camps, as they build up to their October tour of South Africa.
