Central Hinds

The Central Hinds are the women's representative cricket team of Central Districts Cricket Association, based in central New Zealand. They play their home games at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North, Saxton Oval, Nelson and McLean Park, Napier. They compete in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day competition and the Women's Super Smash Twenty20 competition and were formerly known as Central Districts Women.

Central Districts Cricket Association comprises eight District associations: Hawke's Bay, Horowhenua-Kapiti, Manawatu, Taranaki, Wairarapa and Whanganui in the North Island, and Marlborough and Nelson in the South Island.^[1]

The Major Association team is the only female team to draw players from both the main islands of New Zealand.

Central Districts joined the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield for the 1979–80 season and finished fourth with one win and three draws.^[2] In 1982–83, they finished second for the first time, behind Canterbury, who dominated the period.^[3]

The Central Hinds won their first title in 2005–06 (when the one-day competition was named the State League), finishing second in the group stage before beating Canterbury in the final, helped by three wickets from Zara McWilliams and 55* from Sara McGlashan.^{[4] [5]} They were the runner-up in 2007–08 before winning their second one-day competition in 2009–10, with the final rained off and therefore winning the title as they had topped the group stage.^{[6] [7]} They also won their only Super Smash title the same season, beating Auckland in the final by eight wickets.^[8]

The Central Hinds won their third one-day title in 2018–19, topping the group stage before beating the Auckland Hearts in a home final.^[9] Central Hinds batter Natalie Dodd was the leading run-scorer in the competition, with 652 runs.^[10]

Dodd and then-captain Anlo van Deventer set a New Zealand women's List A partnership record (all wickets) of 328 during the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, for the second wicket against the Otago Sparks at Fitzherbert Park on 3 March 2019.^[11] In December 2019, Dodd and Jess Watkin set a national first-wicket record in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, with a partnership of 216 at Karori Park, Wellington.^[12]

The side were runners-up in the 2023–24 Super Smash, making the final for the first time since 2016. They lost to Wellington by one run (DLS) off the final ball of the match.^[13]

Central Districts' first primary home ground was Manawaroa Park, Palmerston North, with some matches played at Ongley Park in the same city.^[14]

In the 1990s, the side began playing at Victoria Park, Whanganui, as well as Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North. In 1998, the team began playing in Napier, especially at Nelson Park, but also later at McLean Park. From the 2000s, their primary grounds were Pukekura Park, New Plymouth and Fitzherbert Park, along with stints at grounds such as Queen Elizabeth Park and Cornwall Park, Hastings.

Since 2020–21, the Central Hinds have primarily used Pukekura Park, McLean Park, Fitzherbert Park and, since 2021–22, Saxton Oval, Nelson, and play both their home and away Super Smash matches as double-headers with the Central Stags.^{[14] [15] [16]}

Based on contracted squad announced for the 2024-25 season.^[17] Players in bold have international caps.

Players who have played for Central Districts and played internationally are listed below, in order of first international appearance (given in brackets):^[18]

Players who have played for Central Districts and played internationally in sports other than cricket are listed below:

• New Zealand Kendra Cocksedge - rugby union
• New Zealand Liz Perry - field hockey double international
• New Zealand Rebecca Rolls - association football double international

• Hallyburton Johnstone Shield:
  • Winners (3): 2005–06, 2009–10, 2018–19
• Women's Super Smash:
  • Winners (1): 2009–10

• Central Districts cricket team

• Women's cricket teams in New Zealand
• Cricket in Central Districts
• Super Smash (women's cricket)

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• Use New Zealand English from June 2020
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