The Northern Districts women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team in New Zealand. Based in the northern half of New Zealand's North Island, they compete in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day competition and also the Women's Super Smash Twenty20 competition. The team won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield for the first time in the 2025-26 season. They play their home games at Seddon Park, Hamilton, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui and Cobham Oval, Whangārei. The T20 side is known as the Northern Brave.
History Northern Districts joined the New Zealand women's domestic structure in 1999–00.
Northern Districts' best finish in the Super Smash came in its inaugural season, when they finished 3rd with 3 wins. In 2019–20, they reached the final of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, but lost by 67 runs to Auckland, despite batter Felicity Leydon-Davis scoring 124. Northern Districts' Caitlin Gurrey was the leading run-scorer across the whole tournament, with 576 runs. In 2020–21, the side finished 4th in both competitions, with 5 wins in the Shield and 3 in the Super Smash.
On 9 October 2021, it was announced that the Northern Districts Cricket Association were combining the brands of the men's and women's teams for the Super Smash, with both teams becoming known as Northern Brave.
Northern Districts' won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield for the first time in the 2025-26 season.
Grounds Northern Districts' first match was played at St Paul's Collegiate Ground. Their primary ground soon became Westpac Trust Park, Hamilton, as well as using Wintech Park in the same city.
From 2005, Northern Districts began using Blake Park, Mount Maunganui (later Bay Oval) as their main home ground, as well as later using Cobham Oval, Whangārei and returning to Westpac Trust Park, now renamed Seddon Park. The side has also occasionally used St Peter's School, Cambridge, as well as returning to St Paul's Collegiate Ground. In 2021–22 and 2022–23, they played the majority of their home games at Seddon Park, as well as playing at Bay Oval and at Cobham Oval.
Players Current squad Based on squad announced for the 2023–24 season. Players in bold have international caps. No. Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Notes Batters3 Lucy Boucher Right-handed Right-arm medium 13 Yasmeen Kareem Left-handed Right-arm medium 23 Caitlin Gurrey Right-handed — 28 Samantha Barriball Right-handed Right-arm leg break All-rounders2 Carol Agafili Right-handed Right-arm medium 4 Jess Watkin Right-handed Right-arm off break 8 Eimear Richardson Right-handed Right-arm off break Captain 15 Nensi Patel Right-handed Right-arm medium Wicket-keepers5 Holly Topp Right-handed — 12 Bernadine Bezuidenhout Right-handed — Bowlers7 Marina Lamplough Right-handed Right-arm medium 11 Marama Downes Unknown Right-arm medium 19 Tash Wakelin Right-handed Right-arm off break 20 Kayley Knight Right-handed Right-arm medium 26 Shriya Naidu Right-handed Right-arm medium 35 Jesse Prasad Right-handed Right-arm medium 74 Eve Wolland Right-handed Right-arm medium
Notable players Players who have played for Northern Districts and played internationally are listed below, in order of first international appearance (given in brackets):
Emily Drumm (1992) Catherine O'Neill (1993) Caitriona Beggs (1995) Charlotte Edwards (1996) Katie Pulford (1999) Donna Trow (1999) Kari Carswell (2001) Mandie Godliman (2002) Nicola Browne (2002) Louise Milliken (2002) Eimear Richardson (2005) Ros Kember (2006) Elyse Villani (2009) Chamari Athapaththu (2009) Morna Nielsen (2010) Natalie Dodd (2010) Kelly Anderson (2011) Kerry-Anne Tomlinson (2011) Anna Peterson (2012) Holly Ferling (2013) Samantha Curtis (2014) Holly Huddleston (2014) Hayley Jensen (2014) Felicity Leydon-Davis (2014) Bernadine Bezuidenhout (2014) Beth Mooney (2016) Naomi Stalenberg (2016) Amanda-Jade Wellington (2016) Ashleigh Gardner (2017) Jess Watkin (2018) Katie McGill (2018) Neisha Pratt (2018) Caitlin Gurrey (2019) Marina Lamplough (2019) Regina Lili'i (2019) Lily Mulivai (2019) Brooke Halliday (2021) Kate Anderson (2023) Carol Agafili (2024) Kayley Knight (2026) Nensi Patel (2026)
Olympian Emma Twigg has also represented the team, fielding as the twelfth man in Northern Districts' final match of the 2021–22 Super Smash.
Coaching staff
Head Coach: Peter Borren
Honours Hallyburton Johnstone Shield: Winners (1): 2025-26 Best finish: Runners-up (2019–20) Women's Super Smash: Winners (0): Best finish: 3rd (2007–08)
See also Northern Districts men's cricket team
Notes
References