Wāhine Māori tournament in Hastings to showcase cricket talent

NZ Maori Schoolgirls players celebrate against the Pasifika Secondary Schoolgirls in January. A number could feature at the inaugural National Māori Women's Tournament in October. Photo / NZ Cricket via Andrew Cornaga

The next evolution of Māori cricket will see a number of the country’s best wāhine cricketers play in the first National Māori Tournament in Hastings later this year.

Hot on the heels of the inaugural Māori Men’s tournament earlier this year, five female teams will each play four T20 games at Cornwall Park over the weekend of October 13-15.

Like the men’s tournament, the wāhine tournament will likely feature a number of established Māori players while also showcasing a number of rising stars in the summer game, particularly those who have come through the Māori secondary schools programme since its inception in 2018.

Marama Downes (Northern Districts) and Ocean Bartlett (Central Hinds), have both gone on to play domestically for their respective associations after strong performances in the Māori Secondary Schoolgirls XI.

Central Hinds all-rounder Kerry Tomlinson and former Otago Spark Tanya Morrison have coached the Maori secondary schoolgirls side – and are now included in NZC’s coaching pathway.

Earlier this year, Tomlinson (Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Porou) told teaonews.co.nz Māori were an untapped pool of talent for New Zealand cricket.

“I think you’ll see more Māori players because we’ve always been here - it’s just we haven’t been acknowledged. With the backing of New Zealand Cricket, that’s going to become more apparent, and people are going to start to recognise, ‘hey, I’m actually associated to this iwi and have those connections here’. So yeah, to have the sporting body of New Zealand cricketers, is massive, massive for us,” she said.