Georgia Atkinson in action for the Wairarapa Korus. PHOTO/LISA SIMS
JAKE BELESKI
Excitement and shock were the two emotions experienced by Wairarapa’s newest Central Hinds cricket representatives when the team for the first two rounds was named on Tuesday.
Georgia Atkinson and Kate Sims will be in line to make their first-class cricket debuts when the team travel to Levin to take on Wellington on November 24, and almost half of the 13-strong squad is made up of Wairarapa players.
Alongside Atkinson and Sims will be Melissa Hansen, Esther Lanser and Kerry Tomlinson, who are also Wairarapa Korus representatives.
Another former Wairarapa player — Anlo van Deventer — will captain the side.
Atkinson said she was “shocked” when she got the news, and didn’t think a call-up to the Hinds would come so early in her career.
“I was just glad to make the wider squad, so I was pretty excited to make the team.
“It’s pretty cool to have Kate make the team as well.”
The Hinds will play a Twenty20 match against the Wellington Blaze on November 24, as well as two 50-over matches on the 25th and 26th.
The following week they will head to Hamilton to take on the Northern Spirit, again in a Twenty20 and two 50-over matches.
It would be a case of getting up to speed quickly for the new Hinds players.
“At the start of the year, I was hoping to make the under-21 Central Districts team,” Atkinson said.
“I never really had the Hinds in my goal-setting.
“It will definitely be very nerve-wracking, but I think with a few Wairarapa girls in the team it will bring the nerves down a bit.”
She said the Korus trainings had helped her refine her game, and praised coach Doug Bracewell for the work he had done.
“Doug has been doing a really good job with the team — it’s a really good team atmosphere and environment.
“We had a close win against Wanganui, but it was just good to get the win.”
Sims said the news she had made the team hadn’t fully sunk in, but she was excited about the challenge.
“I was definitely aiming for it in the future, but getting it at this age was a bit surprising.
“I think it will make it easier having other Korus players around, but we’ve been training with a lot of the Hinds squad and playing with and against them for a few years.”
Sims said the Hinds players were “very welcoming”, but she was aware of how tough the transition could be.
“It’s a huge step up.
“We’re all hoping to perform well and I think it will be different — there will be a bit of extra pressure to bowl, bat and field well.”
Central Hinds squad: Anlo van Deventer (c), Hannah Rowe (vc), Jess Watkin, Kerry Tomlinson, Mikaela Greig, Monique Rees, Melissa Hansen, Kate Stiven, Kate Sims, Esther Lanser, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Atkinson, Rebecca Burns.
