Otago Sparks coach Warren Lees' trademark move is to play the underdog card but not this season.
He has a core of talented cricketers back for another shot at a domestic title and they all expect to do well.
The Sparks won the one-day competition two seasons ago and last year reached the final of the twenty20 tournament, so the team is used to success and should be very competitive.
None more so than White Ferns and Sparks captain Suzie Bates. She scored 668 runs at an average of 83.50 in the one-day competition last season and the 28-year-old right-hander is sure to have a big impact again.
Her immense talent has helped carry the Sparks to victories which would have otherwise have slipped away.
White Fern spinners Leigh Kasperek and Morna Nielsen are good for 20 tight overs between them.
Kasperek had a breakthrough season in 2014-15. The 23-year-old cracked the New Zealand squad on the back of some strong performances for the Sparks and will be looking to back up.
Her right-arm offbreaks have come a long way, although her action looks suspicious and might need some remedial work. That said, she has just got through an international series against Sri Lanka and no-one has complained. Her ability with the bat is also a huge asset for the Sparks. Last summer she scored 313 runs at 39.12 in the one-day competition, including a knock of 95 not out.
Nielsen is arguably the Sparks' best bowler. While Kasperek took more one-day wickets last season, the 25-year-old left-arm spinner bowls an immaculate line and is tough to score from. She claimed her maiden one-day international five-wicket bag earlier this month in the series against Sri Lanka.
Former White Fern wicketkeeper Katey Martin is another player the Sparks lean heavily on. She is vastly experienced, with more than 120 one-day games for Otago.
All-rounder Victoria Abbot and pace bowler Georgia Clarke are part of the national development squad and complete what is a strong group of players.
Lees feels it is perhaps the strongest Sparks squad in some years and the build-up has been much better as well.
The team has been playing warm-up games against president grade teams around the region on Sundays and has also been competing in a development grade in Dunedin on Fridays.
''It has been perfect because they have played the right sort of cricket,'' Lees said.
''We've had more build-up games than we've probably had before.
''I want to make sure we are in the top three of each competition ... and to keep developing. It would be good to get in the final of one of those competitions.''
The Sparks open their season with a twenty20 match against Auckland at Eden Park Outer Oval tomorrow and then play back-to-back one day games against Auckland at the same venue.
Women's cricket goes into hiatus for a month while the country's leading players are involved in the Australia domestic twenty20 tournament. It resumes after Christmas but will break again for three weeks in January.
Otago Sparks Squad
Suzie Bates (captain), Vic Abbot, Caitlin Blakely, Ella Brown, Georgia Clarke, Millie Cowan, Megan Gibbs, Bella James, Leigh Kasperek, Katey Martin, Morna Nielsen, Katie Topham, Polly Inglis, Ash White.
