Blaze Name Squad for HBJ Shield Defense in Dunedin

The Spotlight Reporting Wellington Blaze are set for a third consecutive Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Grand Final this weekend in Dunedin.

The defending champions will send a strong squad down south, featuring some of the competition’s top run-scorers and wicket-takers.

Captain Leigh Kasperek, in the midst of another banner season for the Blaze, is a top-five contributor in both wickets (17, third) and runs (277, fifth) amongst all players.

Jess McFadyen leads all run-scorers with 326 runs in the Round Robin portion of the competition, with teammate Georgia Plimmer boasting the highest individual score of 147.

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The Blaze have a chance to sweep both major trophies of the summer, after already being crowned Dream 11 Super Smash champions with a 1-run win in January’s final. They would become the first team to win both since Canterbury in 2020/21.

A last-round defeat in Wellington means an away final for the team, heading to the University of Otago Oval in Dunedin today, after finishing second in the competition.

Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine are unavailable for selection due to the ongoing WPL tournament in India.

The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Grand Final will stream live and free on NZC’s YouTube channel on Sunday, 25 February 2024. First ball is scheduled for 10:30am in Dunedin with live scoring also available on scoring.nzc.nz.

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Reporting Wellington Blaze | HBJ Shield Grand Final | University of Otago Oval, Dunedin

Leigh Kasperek (c)

Nicole Baird

Rebecca Burns

Kate Chandler

Tash Codyre

Hannah Francis

Xara Jetly

Jess Kerr

Caitlin King

Jess McFadyen (wk)

Georgia Plimmer

Gemma Sims

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