No retirements.
That is the main objective for the Otago Sparks this season, coach Warren Lees says.
It is pretty much the same goal the team had last summer.
Winning is high on the agenda, too, but Lees is realistic about what he believes his side can achieve.
The likes of Canterbury, Auckland and Wellington boast more strength, he feels, and Otago need to build its base for future campaigns.
But is he foxing? The Sparks have the best player in the world in White Ferns captain Suzie Bates and a very experienced core in Sarah Tsukigawa, Katey Martin and Emma Campbell.
Australian all-rounder Nicole Bolton is back for part of the summer and Scotland's Leigh Kasperek has joined the squad.
Add into the mix improving all-rounder Victoria Abbott and the Sparks look more than capable of winning their share of matches.
The team was not that far off the pace last summer. The Sparks finished in fourth place in the one-day competition with four wins, five losses and one no result. They were third in the twenty20 tournament with three wins and two losses.
Regardless, Lees did his best to play down any expectations.
''Last year I think we only had 13 players to pick from and this year I feel confident that we have about 17 or 18 that we could pick from,'' he said.
''So we are building a wee bit. Obviously, we want to win but you have to be realistic. We'd struggle to beat Wellington, Auckland and Canterbury because of the resources they have and the players they have.''
Bates had a brilliant one-day campaign. She was the leading scorer with 705 runs at an average of 117.50 and the joint leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets at 21.94. She is the trump card but certainly not the only ace in the pack.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Katey Martin is also a dangerous player. She has played 39 one-day games for her country and more than 100 women's league games.
Tsukigawa returned from retirement last year and is back for another stint. She is closing in on 3000 career runs in one-day games and has two hundreds to her name.
The Sparks have lost opener Lisa Grant. She has been teaching in Havelock North and will play for Central Districts this season. On the positive side of the ledger, the Sparks have gained Kasperek. The all-rounder played for Wellington last summer. SIT student Tanuja Lele could also play some games for the Sparks this season.
The Sparks open their campaign on December 6 with a twenty20 match against Northern Districts in Cambridge. Their first home game is in Alexandra, against Central Districts, on January 2. They play just one twenty20 match in Dunedin this year and that fixture is a curtain-raiser for the Volts' twenty20 match against Central Districts on January 12.
The Sparks also play back-to-back one-day games against Canterbury in Mosgiel on January 10 and 11.
Otago Sparks: Squad
Suzie Bates, Nicole Bolton, Sarah Tsukigawa, Katey Martin, Victoria Abbott, Polly Inglis, Caitlin Blakely, Emma Campbell, Sarah Osborne, Millie Cowan, Kate Stiven, Leigh Kasperek, Ashleigh White, Olivia Gregory.
