A quartet of Otago Sparks players will be key as they drop back to age-grade level this week.
Gemma Adams, Olivia Gain, Molly Loe and Saffron Wilson will all line up for the Otago under-19 team at the women’s national championships which start today in Lincoln.
The team will play seven games — four one-dayers and three twenty20s — in as many days, although it will have a rest day in the middle and a T20 double-header.
The champion will be the team which finishes the week on top of the points table.
Coach Tanya Morrison said the team had prepared well.
While it had some time away over the holiday period, it had been training since Labour Weekend.
In that time, it has had three warm-up games, securing wins against St Hilda’s Collegiate and an invitational club team, as well as a loss against the Sparks.
However, Morrison said the side was competitive in its loss, which was encouraging.
She said the team was well balanced and had quality throughout.
That included some explosive batting, as well as bowlers who could swing the ball and some handy spinners.
The Sparks quartet would crucial, although the team would lose Adams to Super Smash games on days two and three.
Adams adds value with both bat and ball and has also played for Auckland.
She is the only player in the side with a domestic contract.
Loe has been opening the bowling for the Sparks in the Super Smash, while wicketkeeper-batter Gain and all-rounder Wilson have been regulars in the Sparks 50-over side.
The side is captained by Harriett Cuttance.
Otago’s first opponent today will be Wellington.
Morrison said the rest of the teams looked reasonably strong and she did not feel one stood out from the rest.
The tournament runs until Tuesday next week.
