Five for the future: Rising Kiwi cricket stars to watch

Kris Shannon describes emerging New Zealand cricket talent under 21 to watch.

Fran Jonas, 18, White Ferns

The White Ferns’ T20 World Cup campaign in South Africa could be good
Start with the ball in the hands of Fran Jonas.

The 18-year-old has turned a defensive tactic into one of New Zealand’s most important weapons over the past six months, repeatedly proving her ability to strike in the opening.

Given the speed of her rise to date, it’s no surprise for Jonas to achieve such notoriety.

The left-armed orthodox spinner wore the white fern for the first time in 2021, making her international debut at the age of 16. The following year, Jonas was included in New Zealand’s squad for their home World Cup, playing the opening game before gaining experience on the sidelines.

In other words, Jonas was in the fast lane long before Ben Sawyer took over after the World Cup disappointment.

The manager has since spurred her development, throwing her the ball to start T20 games, a trend likely to continue in the White Ferns’ opener against Australia next month.

“We almost gave Fran a couple of these because the first over is a little bit easier to roll,” Sawyer said. “But Fran actually changed our mind on that because she almost got a wicket every time.

“Whereas originally it was about protecting her a little bit and getting that out of the way, it’s actually become a real weapon for us. She definitely did it herself – she probably created a role doing it.”

Jonas has caught 13 wickets in 12 T20Is and boasts an impressive save rate of 4.08. But consistent with her talent, Sawyer was most struck by the teen’s temperament.

“She’s exactly the same kid I first met on Mount,” he said. “She’s going to face tough days and she has, but she put up with it. I’m sure the World Cup will be tough again, but she’s improved every time the ball has been thrown at her.”

Jacob Cumming, 19, Otago

Craig Cumming waited until the age of 29 to play the first of his 24 games for New Zealand. He may not have to wait long for his son to surpass those two numbers.

Like his father, Jacob Cumming is a top-flight hitter for Otago. Unlike Craig, a first international cap – and more to come – could come sooner rather than later for Jacob.

“Jacob shows one of the best techniques of a top-flight batsman from the youth program,” said Otago coach Dion Ebrahim. “Often young batsmen have the ability to play with both front and back foot, but having good scoring chances with back foot is definitely where Jacob stands out from the crowd.

“He’s a young man with an outstanding temper – almost unwavering in high-pressure situations. In the last season or two he’s faced some of the best bowlers in New Zealand – the likes of Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson – and he seems to have that calmness.”

Cumming, who turned 19 last month, made his top-flight debut for Otago a year ago, having previously been top scorer in the national Provincial A tournament.

The left-handed batsman has played eight Plunket Shield matches – which was promising enough to be selected for a New Zealand XI team alongside Neil Wagner and Devon Conway – and Ebrahim indicated time at center is now the main focus.

“His technique will stand up to the challenges that domestic cricket brings, so she’s just trying to give him consistent chances,” said the coach. “When he gets that, he’ll figure out the best way to set up an innings.

“It’s all about the batting skill or pace of first class cricket – how he can identify the typical ups and downs of first class cricket and how he can navigate through them as a top-class batsman.

“In terms of performances, we just want him to continue to enjoy what he does from a gameplay perspective and learn from and feed off of a lot of veteran players that he comes together with.”

Georgia Plimmer, 18, White Ferns

When Georgia Plimmer first batted for the White Farns, the challenge ahead in international cricket was as difficult as could be imagined.

New Zealand beat Australia, the best team in the world, first in the Commonwealth semi-finals and veteran opener Suzie Bates had just been sent off for a golden duck.

Plimmer, who had turned 18 six months earlier, feuded with Megan Schutt, a fast bowler with more than 200 international wickets to her name, and was promptly judged lbw.

But after Plimmer successfully verified that dismissal on the first ball, she began playing her shots.

She went down the crease and punched Jess Jonassen across the middle to the fence; she cut Tahlia McGrath beautifully over the short third to the border; and she again used her feet to pound rubble onto the floor for four.

The cameo was brief – Plimmer was soon fired for 17 – and the White Ferns eventually went down by five wickets. But the young slugger had shown more than a glimmer of her talent.

“It got everyone up,” coach Ben Sawyer said of those innings. “She shows a glimpse of it all the time.

“The talent is definitely there and we want to try to get the best out of her. I hope that comes soon because she’s working really hard on her game.”

Plimmer has since struggled to replicate the impact she made on Birmingham and has typical teenage teething problems. But Sawyer has no doubt that runs will soon be as smooth as they were against Australia.

“It’s just about turning those 10s and 15s into 30s and 40s,” he said. “We asked them to play in a certain way and that means attacking and with that comes a risk.

“I don’t want her to go in her bowl because we want her to get more points. We want her to play like her and get great results. It puts her under a bit of pressure, but we think she should be that good.”

Adithya Ashok, 20, Auckland

With an Indian-born legspinner recently starring in New Zealand’s Test team, another might not be too far behind.

Adithya Ashok has long been an exciting prospect in cricket for the age group touted as the most promising spinner since Daniel Vettori, and his top-flight debut suggested he could soon be following in Ish Sodhi’s footsteps.

The 20-year-old, who moved to New Zealand aged four, has set his sights on playing Test cricket for the Black Caps and immediately showed an affinity for the red ball in October.

After making his Auckland debut in T20 and one-day cricket in the 2021-22 season, his top-flight arc against Central Districts was hugely encouraging.

Ashok’s first wicket at the Whites was New Zealand Test opener Will Young. An over later, he struck again. By the time he fired CD captain Tom Bruce, Ashok had amassed 5-106 in his first innings.

It’s his only inning so far – the visitors batted once in a big win at the Eden Park Outer Oval – but as he can turn the ball both ways and possess a fearsome googly there should be plenty of wickets to come.

Ashok first came to prominence when he was playing for Mt Albert Grammar’s First XI in ninth grade. He beat Northern Districts 6-12 at the 2019 U17 national tournament and the following year, aged 17, he was included in New Zealand’s squad for the U19 World Cup.

He doesn’t have to look far for inspiration to take the next step – Sodhi and Ajaz Patel, another Indian-born tweaker, have been the Black Caps’ top bowlers on their last two trips to the subcontinent. Soon Ashok could be pushing for her place.

Kate Chandler, 16, Wellington

A month after her 14th birthday, Kate Chandler spun the ball past the White Ferns’ bats.

In just her third List-A match in December 2020, the legspinner grabbed a five-wicket pocket and went 5-41 to help Wellington topple Canterbury in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.

Her catch at Hagley Oval included Lea Tahuhu and Kate Ebrahim, experienced victims as the youngster bowled a wicket maid and a double wicket maid while also catching Amy Satterthwaite to complete a dream outing.

“That was great, it was a bit surreal looking back on it. It was one of those days where everything just goes according to plan,” Chandler told Newsroom on the eve of the U19-T20 World Cup in South Africa.

Chandler, 16, is part of a New Zealand team alongside Fran Jonas and Georgia Plimmer who opened their tournament against Indonesia on Monday morning (NZT).

“I was pretty excited, it was a bit of a surprise,” Chandler said of her recording. “I didn’t 100 percent think I’d be in the frame for that, so getting the call was pretty cool.

“Not many girls have gone abroad and played cricket or had the pressure of playing in a World Cup so it will be good to have them [Jonas and Plimmer] there.”

It’s a chance for Chandler to continue a cricket education that began playing with her three brothers in the backyard. After helping her learn the art of legspins, she has since played 11 games for Wellington, losing three wickets in last year’s one-day final.

She scored nine scalps at last month’s national under-19 tournament and also impressed with the racquet, hitting 255 carries for a 63.75 average.

“I’ve definitely worked on my hitting a lot over the past few seasons,” Chandler said. “[I’m] I’m trying not just to become a bowler, but to really become an all-rounder.”