Coin toss girl eager for Mount Maunganui Twenty20 cricket clash

HEADS OR TAILS: Brooklyn Grigson, 8, will toss the coin for today's game between the Black Caps and Bangladesh. Photo / Andrew Warner.

The weather looks great, a big crowd is expected, and a little girl is practising her coin toss as excitement builds for today's Twenty20 cricket clash in Tauranga.

Brooklyn Grigson, 8, won a competition to toss the coin for today's international between the Black Caps and Bangladesh.

"I'm just getting dressed now and I'm very excited," a breathless Brooklyn said over the phone at 10.30am. "I'm putting on an ANZ cap and a t-shirt."

There had been some difficulties with her preparation, however, with Brooklyn's mum reporting that the youngster was "not great" at tossing coins.

The Omanu Primary School student confirmed this, stating that "sometimes it just flips off the side of my hand", a tendency which was "really annoying".

The challenge of appearing on a cricket pitch in front of a large crowd did not faze her much, as she was used to being the centre of attention while performing as a cheerleader. Her mum, Rebecca, runs the Bay Twisters cheerleading team.

Mrs Grigson said she had entered her daughter's name into an online competition to win the coin-toss job. She understood that Brooklyn would have her photo taken with the team captains before going onto the pitch with them for the coin toss.

Today's game is notable for the return of Trent Boult to his home ground after being rested for Tuesday's Twenty20 series opener in Napier.

Boult told the Bay of Plenty Times he was "raring to get back into it".

Bangladesh are yet to win a game on the current tour of New Zealand after losing the one-day international series 3-0 and Tuesday's Twenty20 game.

The weather during today's match is expected to be around 21C and overcast.

Blackcaps v Bangladesh

What: International Twenty-20 cricket
Where: Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui
When: Today, 3pm start
Tickets: premier.ticketek.co.nz