The SKYCITY Hamilton Northern Spirit will be playing with a mixture of experience and youth in the first round of the Women's Competition when they host the Auckland Heart in Whangarei.  Looking to make her debut for the team is last season's winner of the MVP award for the New Zealand Post Cup and Shield Finals is 14 year old Nensi Patel.  Peter Zanzottera, Director of High Performance Programmes for Northern Districts sees Patel having the ability to be a long-term performer for ND saying "Nensi has shown great talent with the bat, well above others in her age group, and we are excited to give her exposure to some high level cricket."  

Zanzottera also feels that the players are in good form following a solid lead in with many playing in the newly created Northern Premier League.  "By playing some good, quality cricket through the NPL, the players are better prepared and are in better condition compared to where we have been in earlier years. So we are feeling positive about the season ahead."

Also making her debut for SKYCITY Hamilton Northern Spirit include WHITE FERN Sam Curtis, who transferred from Auckland.   Other internationals in the team include Scottish nationals Kari Carswell and Katie McGill, South African Bernadine Bezuidenhout, former Dutch international Kerry Tomlinson and WHITE FERN Natalie Dodd.  

The SKYCITY Hamilton Northern Spirit will take on the Hearts in a T20 match at Cobham Oval and will then play consecutive limited over matches on Saturday and Sunday.

SKYCITY Hamilton Northern Spirit vs Auckland Hearts:

• Brooke Halliday © (Counties Manukau, NPL Galaxy)

• Kate Anderson (Bay of Plenty, NPL Power)

• Bernadine Bezuidenhout (International)

• Sam Curtis (NPL Sonic)

• Kari Carswell (NPL Galaxy)

• Natalie Dodd (Hamilton, NPL Velocity)

• Tayla Hollis (Poverty Bay, NPL Galaxy)

• Katie McGill  

• Nensi Patel (Bay of Plenty, NPL Velocity)

• Emma Parker (Waikato Valley, NPL Sonic)

• Alisha Rout (Waikato Valley, NPL Velocity)

• Kerry Tomlinson (Poverty Bay, NPL Power)

Northern Spirit vs Auckland Hearts, Cobham Oval, Whangarei. Free Entry.

T20 Friday November 25, 3.00pm

One Day Competition Saturday November 26, 10.00am

One Day Competition Sunday November 27, 10.30am