As part of the legacy of the Cricket World Cup 22, it’s time for New Zealand women to return to the test cricket arena, says Kristy Havill.
Not since 2004 have the White Ferns donned the whites and played with the red ball; wicketkeeper Katey Martin is the only player in New Zealand’s squad for next month's World Cup who’s played test cricket.
It was as recently as Tuesday, during the final Ashes ODI between Australia and England, that commentators expressed their dismay that the likes of White Ferns Suzie Bates and Amy Satterthwaite hadn’t had the opportunity to play test cricket for their country.
Over two million people in Australia, and many more around the world, watched on the edge of their seats last month, as their side snatched an unlikely draw against an England team - who had their full one-day cricket skills on display in a phenomenal test run chase, before they fell agonisingly short of the total.
It was Ashes test cricket at its finest, and it has left Cricket Australia and the public wanting more. They know England and India will be on the journey with them, but have signalled their interest in playing South Africa and New Zealand as well, if those two nations have an appetite for tests.
Will we get on the bandwagon and return to test cricket, or will we be left behind yet again? Could we be really forward thinking, and become the first country to introduce red ball cricket at the women’s domestic level, to build a wider base of players first?
Having the World Cup on our shores is the opportune time for New Zealand Cricket to not only celebrate how far the women’s game has come, but to also take a long look at where they want to go, and whether they want to be a leader or a follower.
Live streaming women’s one-day domestic matches, full-time coaches and a fully-fledged A programme are all areas that could reap big rewards for women’s cricket in the future.
On the test front, there are all sorts of reasons why people think the White Ferns shouldn't be playing the longest format. It costs money (doesn’t everything?), the White Ferns wouldn’t be very good (understandable, its been 18 years and counting), the players don’t want to (incorrect), and the big clanger – it doesn’t drive the growth of the sport (doesn’t make money don’t you mean?).
Well, have I got news for you.
If you can see it, you can be it.
The argument Kiwi girls don’t want to play test cricket is a flawed one, because how can they know what they want when they’re not seeing it as an option in front of them? We know that if sport is televised, it drives growth because it inspires individuals to participate.
Absolutely, shorter forms of the game are great for attracting new audiences and casual viewers to cricket, and testing the waters when it comes to playing. But does that mean players shouldn’t have the opportunity to participate in the longest form of the game if they choose to pursue cricket at a higher level?
Test cricket is still regarded by many women all around the world as the purest form of the game, and while the players understand the hurdles involved with trying to fit it into the schedule, it’s an opportunity players like Frankie Mackay and Sophie Devine are dreaming of.
“I’ve certainly been a big supporter of trying to play test cricket here in New Zealand. For me, the way that the Ashes structure is set up with the multi-format series is the way of the future. I’d certainly love to play a test match and wear the black cap,” Devine says.
Mackay agrees. “I really like the multi-format series, because you’ve got one test in amongst three ODIs and three T20s, so you’ve got a decent-sized tour. You have ability to play across three formats and the ability to expose different players to different formats as well,” the White Fern allrounder says.
“The stuff you do in test cricket can only help in the shorter forms too. The skillsets, the planning, the durability, all that stuff that comes with test cricket is really important. And vice versa - players who’ve played a lot of white ball cricket to take an attacking mindset into test cricket has shown the game has sped up. It’s a more attractive viewing spectacle for people.”
With three multi-format series being completed in the last eight months, all involving England, Australia and India, and discussions well underway for England to host South Africa in a multi-format series in the middle of the year, it certainly is the way of the future.
The resources and finances of those countries could provide the perfect vehicle for New Zealand to play test cricket again. Touring overseas and playing in multi-format series away would alleviate the costs associated with hosting tests in New Zealand, until we’ve manoeuvred ourselves into a position where it’s viable to do so.
And if we’re not very good in the beginning, so what? You have to start somewhere, and the more time in the middle, the more our players are going to improve. It will help the quality and quantity of our female players in the long run, being able to perform their skillset for longer periods of time.
There’s a lot to like about what’s going on in women’s cricket in New Zealand right now. Every single Super Smash T20 match was televised on Spark Sport this season, with an increase in the number of matches on free-to-air television.
There was increased investment in White Ferns contracts, and small paid playing agreements for some domestic players; a number of development contracts and the opportunities to attend White Ferns camps; support for players to pursue overseas playing opportunities.
And more dedicated resource for personal development and support from the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association for both the White Ferns and for all female domestic players.
The list goes on. But it’s important to not rest on our laurels and be content with where things are at, because there’s a long way to go yet.
The key thing to remember is if the White Ferns have a successful World Cup, there won’t be a big influx of cash all of a sudden to throw around and put the world to rights.
A new master agreement between New Zealand Cricket and the NZCPA is due to come into play later this year. While we won’t know the ins and outs of it until it is signed, sealed and delivered, it can be assumed the negotiations in the complex process have already been progressing to a point where the White Ferns’ performances at the World Cup won’t alter the new agreement drastically.
The other thing to bear in mind is that progress doesn’t just come in the form of retainers and match fees. Playing opportunities, accessible coaching, quality facilities, and visibility are just a few of the areas where valuable gains could be made for women’s cricket in New Zealand.
So, where to from here? How can the attention and publicity of a home World Cup be harnessed into driving forward women’s cricket in New Zealand?
The answers should not necessarily be purely focused on the very few players at the top end in the White Ferns environment, but also in the wider playing pool underneath, in domestic cricket which then filters down the pathways to the grassroots.
Here are a few suggestions:
Hallyburton Johnstone Shield live-streaming
The one-day competition for domestic women is yet to see a hint of regular airtime. Live streaming is available for most, if not all, men’s Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy matches, and while the HBJ final was streamed last season, viewers had to contend with an off-centre camera position as well as a pole impeding the camera’s view.
Our female players have family and friends who would like to watch them play, too, regardless of the format they’re playing. Particularly during the Covid-19 era when many matches are being played behind closed doors, having the opportunity to watch matches via live stream would be a perfect alternative.
And that’s not to say it wouldn’t encourage more cricket fans to tune in as well.
Every match of the equivalent competition in England, the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, was live streamed in 2020 for a total of 500,000 views – clocking in 20,000 views per match.
Those figures then skyrocketed in 2021 when an average of 53,000 views per match meant the total views ticked over to 1.61 million views. Obviously the UK population lends itself to those numbers, but it would still be worthwhile to have in New Zealand, too.
It would also provide a valuable analysis tool for coaches and players when it comes to scouting their opposition and formulating their plans and tactics. Teams are having to strategise for the one-day format based on what they’ve seen their counterparts do in the T20 format – which doesn't always translate directly to the longer format.
Full-time coaching roles
In order to attract and retain the best local and international coaching talent, the head coach roles of the women’s domestic teams need to be made as close to full-time as possible.
Honing new variations with the ball or shots with the bat can take months of hard work and repetition, so the best time to work at this is during the winter so they’re ready to put into practise once the season rolls around.
Having regular access to the coach 12 months of the year would be revolutionary for players wanting to have a solid winter training block to work on their skills and improve their game.
It would also alleviate financial concerns for the coaches themselves who may have to find alternative forms of work for some months of the year to bridge the gap between the end of the season and the beginning of the next one.
Sustainable ‘A’ and U19 programmes
The merits of a quality U19 programme were on full display in March 2019 when Australia brought an extremely strong U19 squad to face a New Zealand development side.
Players from that tour who’ve gone on to play for the Australian women’s team include Darcie Brown, Annabel Sutherland, Hannah Darlington and Stella Campbell who were involved in the recently completed Ashes series victory. Brown and Sutherland, in particular, played starring roles throughout the series.
The announcement of an ICC Women’s U19 Cricket World Cup, to be held in Bangladesh in 2021, also prompted NZ Cricket to put plans in place to establish an U19 pathway. But it was unfortunately curtailed by the onset of the Covid pandemic.
The inaugural tournament was postponed to 2023, but NZC selected their first U19 side at the beginning of 2021 to play matches against the New Zealand Police and a provincial XI side. It’s definitely an exciting growth area for the sport.
While the eight new development contracts provided exciting opportunities for some of the most promising players in the country to have access to regular training camps and a small amount of income, it hasn’t alleviated the widening gulf between international and domestic cricket as a result of the New Zealand ‘A’ programme being done away with earlier in the 2010s.
Mackay knows and understands the benefits of an ‘A’ programme – she was in one earlier in her career - and while she acknowledges what the development contracts have done for some of the players around the country, she concedes a few tweaks may be needed to fully realise its potential.
“Exactly how we utilise that with only eight players being involved, it’s pretty tough to get the mix of those players right,” Mackay says.
“I’m a massive fan of an A programme, if you want to continue to grow the game. I think the ability to get people into an environment, to give them specialist support, and possibly financial support, is something really special. It’s the ability to spread the experience out as far as you can, and not just when you become part of the 15 squad or one of the 17 contracted White Ferns.”
Just exactly what the legacy looks like from this 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup we will only find out in due course, perhaps further down the track when Devine, Bates or Satterthwaite are unveiling a squad full of young women they inspired.
It wasn’t so long ago zero women’s domestic cricket was televised in New Zealand. People said it was impossible, that no one would watch it. And look where we are now.
It’s time to change the mindset, and focus on what we could achieve rather than what we can’t.
