Central Hinds teenager Jess Watkin and Northern Spirit wicket-keeper-batswoman Bernadine Bezuidenhout are in line to debut for the New Zealand women's cricket team on their upcoming tour to England and Ireland.
Central Hinds player Jess Watkin. Photo: Photosport Ltd
The pair have been included in a 15-player squad bound for the Northern Hemisphere in June, where one-day internationals against Ireland and world champions England await, alongside a Twenty20 Tri Series with South Africa and England.
White Ferns selector Kirsty Bond said Watkin and Bezuidenhout had been on her and coach Haidee Tiffen's radars for a while and their selections were with an eye to November's World T20 in the West Indies.
"Jess and Bernadine are tremendous talents with lots of potential.
"They're aggressive players who possess a broad skill-set and that allows them to adapt to changing game situations quickly.
"The women's game is evolving all the time and we feel we need players who will suit the positive and attacking brand of cricket the White Ferns want to play."
Watkin, 19, scored a double-century in the National Women's Under 21 tournament late last year.
"Jess is a special player who we've been keeping an eye on since she debuted domestically in 2013," Bond said.
White Ferns squad: Suzie Bates (c), Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Sophie Devine, Kate Ebrahim, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen,
Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Katey Martin, Anna Peterson, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite (vc), Lea Tahuhu, Jess Watkin.
