Glory might have to wait another year or two.
St Hilda’s Collegiate will field a young team at the Girls First XI Cup in Lincoln this week.
Coach Will Deerness said he would be "stoked if we won a game or two".
But the school does have a proud record at a tournament that has undergone a name change this year.
It has had several monikers over the years, but it is best known as the Gillette Venus Cup, and St Hilda’s won it in 2018-19 and in 2016-17.
The 2018-19 team was chock full of talent. Future White Ferns spinner Eden Carson was joined in that team by Emma Black, Chloe Deerness, Olivia Gain and Molly Loe, who have all gone on to represent the Sparks.
The 2016-17 team included newly promoted White Fern Bella James and Silver Ferns Kate and Georgia Heffernan as well as Carson and Black. Kate Heffernan played a game for the White Ferns before electing to chase her netball dreams.
St Hilda’s has been a fine nursery for cricketing talent.
The latest crop of players is still brewing, though.
They have just two year 13 players in the side - all-rounder Hannah O’Connor and opening batter Ella Gibson.
They are crucial to the team’s prospects. O’Connor is the daughter of former Black Cap Shayne O’Connor.
They will be supported by top-order batter Megha Senthilkumar, leggie Sophie Deerness and Ella Bezett.
"We are really reliant on our senior players. If they can put runs on the board then we’ll challenge anyone," Will Deerness said.
St Hilda’s open their campaign against Palmerston North Girls’ High School at Bert Sutcliffe Oval tomorrow.
• Otago A beat Canterbury A by seven wickets at the University Oval yesterday. The visitors made 231 but Isy Parry scored 68 to guide the home team to a comfortable win with more than eight overs to spare. She also took four for 42.
St Hilda’s squad
Emilie Barron, Ella Bezett, Amelia Boustead, Sophie Deerness, Ella Gibson, Lyla Hemmingsen, Beth Homer, Marley Hore, Augusta Howden, Hannah O’Connor, Megha Senthilkumar, Charlotte Stafford
