Yesterday would have been another emotional day for the 20-year-old. She was named in the White Ferns side to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The Games get under way next month and the White Ferns have named a side that includes a group of younger players.
Carson will be joined in the team by a fellow rookie, Auckland wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze.
Auckland left-arm spinner Fran Jonas and Wellington top-order batter Georgia Plimmer will embark on their first tours with the White Ferns, while Wellington keeper Jess McFadyen will return to England after first touring there last winter.
There is still plenty of experience in the side. Veteran all-rounder Sophie Devine will captain a team that includes the likes of Suzie Bates, Melie Kerr and Maddy Green.
But there are also some familiar faces missing. Katey Martin and Amy Satterthwaite have retired, while Frankie Mackay and Leigh Kasperek have been overlooked.
The decision to go with younger players was clearly signalled during the contracting process. The White Ferns were disappointing at the World Cup held in New Zealand earlier this year and the selectors have responded.
Carson, though, has earned the opportunity. She was the Otago Sparks’ leading wicket-taker in both the T20 and one-day competitions during the summer, and was instrumental in helping them reach both finals.
Her highlight was nabbing a five-wicket bag in the 138-run win over Wellington in the one-day final, and she picked up a four-wicket bag in the Super Smash and finished that campaign with 17 wickets at 15.82.
Melie Kerr is New Zealand’s leading spinner, so Carson will compete with Jonas for game time as one of three spinners in the 15-strong touring party.
The bowling quartet of Hannah Rowe, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair and Hayley Jensen are all established players, while Bates and Devine will carry a heavy load with the bat.
It is the first time women’s cricket has featured at the Commonwealth Games. Men played a 50-over tournament at Kuala Lumpur in 1998, when New Zealand won bronze.
Bates, who represented New Zealand in basketball at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, was looking forward to being in a team within a team.
"Being part of a wider New Zealand team makes you even more proud to wear the Silver Fern," Bates said.
"You feel like you’re part of something big. To be in the same team as New Zealand’s top athletes from all the different sports is something really special."
White Ferns
The squad
Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Sophie Devine, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Jess McFadyen, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe.
