Meet the team: Canterbury Magicians

Really interesting things have been going on with Canterbury's premier female cricket team over the last 24 months.

For decades in New Zealand women's cricket Canterbury was the powerhouse, a key engine room behind the national squad. Many of the WHITE FERNS representatives and legends came from here, a routine stronghold of women's club cricket.

But this year was the first in memory where not a single Canterbury player received a WHITE FERNS contract.

AMY SATTERTHWAITE | All images: PHOTOSPORT

For context, the left-hand legend of the WHITE FERNS Amy Satterthwaite has retired from the international game, but is still available to play for the Magicians - fresh off assistant coaching the Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL.

And Frankie Mackay and Lea Tahuhu, other legends in their own right, had been previously contracted at the top, but the selectors went in a different direction this time around.

Mackay is Canterbury's all time most capped T20 player with 104 games, Satterthwaite second with 93, Tahuhu third with 76. The veteran leaders of the side will be out to prove a few people wrong, no doubt.

Strong, sharp and experienced, 32-year-old Tahuhu has already shown her hot form this season, terrorising the Auckland Hearts with a one-day five-wicket bag in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.

Also 32, librarian Mackay's cricket acumen and indefatigable fizz for the game is on display as one of the league's top broadcast commentators when she's not playing.

Combining both roles, and captaincy to boot at times (Mackay is missing the start of this season with injury, Satterthwaite with the armband), plus shouldering reponsibility with both bat and the spinning ball is testimony to her energy, and the bugbear for Mackay has been a run of niggly injuries at particularly inopportune times.

Satterthwaite is 36, and between spin twins and top order women Satterthwaite and Mackay there are 9,550 T20 runs and 280 T20 wickets, and a slew of Canterbury all-time records, with Satterthwaite closing in on the 150 wickets milestone and 7K runs.

Tahuhu is meanwhile one of the hardest, biggest hitters in the game on her day, another string to her match-winning bowling bow that has seen her collect 188 wickets with a best of 4-6.

The Magicians are one of the first two teams in action this Friday and this season, when they go up against Northern Brave women away at Mt Maunganui's Bay Oval. And so far we have mentioned only three players, which is testimony to how influential the trio is.

But the really interesting part about this squad is the task for the new generation coming through, plus they have acquired aggressive hard-hitter Kate Anderson from Northern Brave this year.

SARAH ASMUSSEN | PHOTOSPORT

Izzy Sharp is a talented young all-round sportswomen who is going places, and will be hoping to get opportunities to make her mark before she heads away to South Africa with the NZ Under 19s.

Abigale Gerken, blessed with one of the best surnames in cricket, is another rising star, just 20 years old.

Sarah Asmussen, 22, brings right-arm leg-spin, Missy Banks at 21 is another up and comer.

Owner of a T20 hat-trick, more experienced Gabby Sullivan's pace bowling marked her out as Tahuhu's natural successor in the team and she is particularly strong in the T20 format with 33 wickets at a lean average. The pair make a great combo.

Quiet achievers like Nat Cox and Jacinta Savage can be dangerous matchwinners on their day, Cox the glue in the middle in tricky situations.

Plenty of options in Canterbury's attack and youth and experience. Red means danger. And yet, things have been up and down for the team, results-wise, across the two formats of late, fourth in last year's Dream11 Super Smash with six losses in their 10 rounds.

That was frankly a turn-up. They topped the table in 2020/21 and did the one-day/T20 title double, but had Kate Ebrahim in the engine room that summer before her move to the Sparks - then straight away Ebrahim helped the Sparks win the HBJ title last summer to go back to back personally.

The Magicians play their home doubleheaders at Hagley Oval against the Auckland Hearts on Boxing Day 26 Dec, and against Wellington Blaze on New Year's Day 1 Jan, against the Brave again on 13 Jan, against the Central Hinds under lights on 27 Jan, and on 4 Feb against the Otago Sparks.

Away, after beginning this Friday against Northern Brave at Bay Oval, they head to Pukekura Park in New Plymouth to play the Hinds on 30 December; Auckland on 8 Jan at Kennards; and the Cello Basin Reserve on 23 Jan for a big game against another strong side, Wellington Blaze. Waitangi Day 6 Feb sees them playing the Sparks in Dunedin.

The Canterbury Magicians squad announced for Match One on 23 Dec 2022 is:

SCHEDULE and TICKETS

CONTRACTED PLAYERS ROSTER

Kate Anderson • right hand top order bat, right arm medium

Sarah Asmussen • right arm leg spin, right hand bat

Melissa (Missy) Banks • right hand bat, right arm medium

Natalie Cox • right hand bat

Abigale Gerken • right hand bat, right arm medium

Laura Hughes • right hand bat, wicketkeeper

Frances (Frankie) Mackay • right hand top order bat, right arm offspin

Kirsty Nation • right hand bat, right arm medium

Jacinta Savage • right hand bat, right arm medium

Isobel (Izzy) Sharp • right hand bat

Gabby Sullivan • right hand bat, right arm medium

Lea Tahuhu • right hand bat, right arm medium fast

Also ( non contracted):

Amy Satterthwaite • left hand top/middle order bat, right arm offspin

Jodie Dean • right hand bat, right arm medium

Abigail Hotton • another young player who will be heading away with NZ Under 19 squad

Jess Simmons • right hand bat, right arm medium

Emma Kench • right hand bat

Allie Mace-Cochrane • right hand bat, right arm off spin

Coach: Rhys Morgan

Team hashtag: #WeAreCanterbury

League hashtag: #SuperSmashNZ

Team website: www.canterburycricket.co.nz