Hawke's Bay's Rosemary Mair returns for Central Hinds after injury break

Rosemary Mair appeals against Australia in an International Twenty20 cricket match at Eden Park, Auckland in 2021. Photo / Andrew Cornaga

After an injury enforced spell on the sidelines, Hawke's Bay White Fern Rosemary Mair is back in action this weekend and excited about the summer ahead.

Having made her international cricket debut in 2019, Mair was set to add to her 11 ODI and 17 T20 caps on the White Ferns tour of England in September.

However, a couple of days before the squad flew out in mid August, the news came that Central Hinds seamer Mair, 23, would not be making the trip.

"I had sore shins for a few weeks and then about a week before we went to England I got an MRI scan and it showed that I had a bone stress reaction so I got pulled out of the England tour."

With rest a key part of recovery from this type of injury, Mair has been on a managed return to play programme.

She has attended a few White Ferns camps, but with the domestic season a few weeks old, she is now ready to return at the Basin Reserve in Wellington this Sunday.

The Hinds take on the Wellington Blaze in round two of this season's T20 Super Smash competition, following a first up loss to the Otago Sparks in Dunedin last Sunday.

In contrast to the maximum 10 overs that she could bowl in a 50-over match, she will be restricted to no more than four overs when she and her teammates line up against a strong home team containing a number of fellow White Ferns such as Amelia Kerr, Maddy Green and Leigh Kasperek.

Rosemary Mair bowling for the New Zealand White Ferns against Australia at Junction Oval in Melbourne, 2019. Photo / www.photosport.nz

Ironically, Mair has been living in Wellington for about six months, a decision she made to allow her to train and develop more effectively given that she is contracted to the White Ferns.

"I'm really excited for Super Smash.

"It's just a fun time of year and I'm excited to get back with the Hinds and play some good cricket and hopefully improve on some of our results from last year as well."

The 2020/21 instalment of the Super Smash was a disappointing one for the Hinds, as they finished bottom of the six team competition with just two wins in 10 matches.

It's a record the squad are determined to improve on this season.

"Last year we didn't get the results we wanted, but if you actually look at our games we were a lot closer in a lot of games and just couldn't get over the line.

"In pre-season we've done a lot of work on our T20 game and scoring more runs and being more aggressive and I think we've definitely got the team to make the finals this year."

After the Blaze match, the Hinds travel to Hagley Oval to face the defending champions, the Canterbury Magicians on December 10.

After that, the former Taradale High School student and her teammates will take on the Otago Sparks at McLean Park on December 18.

That, like all Super Smash fixtures this season, will be a double header with the men's Central Stags team taking on their Otago counterparts, the Volts, in what will be a free admission event for all spectators.

"It's always good to play in Napier at my home ground and it should be a great day of cricket."

Beyond the domestic season, the Women's 50 over Cricket World Cup takes place in New Zealand between March 4 and April 3 next year. It's a great opportunity, not only for the players, but also for fans all over the country to get behind the team.

"We're really excited for the World Cup.

"We've all been working really hard over the winter and will be as well over the summer and we just want to play some good cricket and hopefully inspire a lot of young girls throughout the country as well.''

For now though, Mair is just happy to be back out on the field with the Hinds.

Central Hinds Super Smash fixtures

Sunday, December 5: Wellington Blaze (Basin Reserve, Wellington).

Friday, December 10: Canterbury Magicians (Hagley Oval, Christchurch).

Saturday, December 18: Otago Sparks (McLean Park, Napier).

Monday, December 27: Auckland Hearts (Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North).

Thursday, December 30: Northern Brave (Pukekura Park, New Plymouth).

Friday, December 31: Canterbury Magicians (Pukekura Park, New Plymouth).

Saturday, January 8: Wellington Blaze (Pukekura Park, New Plymouth).

Friday, January 14: Northern Brave (Bay Oval, Tauranga).

Saturday, January 22: Auckland Hearts (Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland.