Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Western Bay of Plenty women's cricket star Nensi Patel has moved within one step of playing for the White Ferns, after being offered a New Zealand Cricket contract for the 2022/23 cricket year.

New Zealand Cricket, has implemented a bold risk and reward strategy to resurrect the New Zealand Women's cricket international standings, after mediocre performances in the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup played in New Zealand.

The Western Bay twenty year old, has joined Auckland Hearts trio Fran Jonas, Molly Penfold and Izzy Gaze, along with Otago Sparks Eden Carson and Georgina Plummer from the Wellington Blaze, in becoming the new young guns of New Zealand women's cricket.

Nensi Patel, has been making headlines ever since her Northern Districts Women's side debut, as a 14 year old in November 2016. One of the youngest ever players to make a major association debut, Nensi quickly justified her selection, taking 12 wickets with a best of 4/19 in her debut season.

The 2021-22 cricket year has been Nensi's breakout season being named the best Women's Domestic player in the country. The NZ Cricket website reported "The Women's Domestic Player of the Year went to Northern Brave spinning all-rounder, Nensi Patel, on the back of her strong form across the Dream 11 Super Smash and Hallyburton Johnstone Shield competitions. 11 wickets in the former and 18 at an 17.83 (average) to top the wicket-taking charts in the latter."

Kiwi cricket fans, sat up and took notice when Patel took a coveted six wicket bag, in the Braves one-day match-up with the Auckland Hearts. Her career best haul of six wickets at a cost of 25 runs, saw Nensi decimate the Auckland innings, with her first wicket at 130/4, before grabbing the last five bowling scalps to remove the Hearts for 185.

The background to the sudden elevation of six young new faces is the decline of the White Ferns international rankings since the dawn of the new millennium.

In 2000, New Zealand were top of the roost after winning the Women's Cricket World Cup. However the self-belief that the White Ferns could compete on equal footing with such as the Australian Women's team, evaporated, as the enemy from over the ditch subsequently took control of their frequent meetings.

There is no better example of the Australian Women's domination than their performances at the Bay Oval. Eight trans-Tasman battles at the Blake Park international ground has produced just one solitary New Zealand victory.

After the White Ferns squeezed home by nine runs in initial meeting at the Bay Oval in February 2016, the Green and Gold brigade went on to grab the three match ODI series with eight and six wicket victories.

Two subsequent Australian team visits to the Western Bay of Plenty, in 2017 and 2021, resulted in five significant Aussie triumphs.

After the WCWC debacle, the New Zealand Cricket selectors took the scythe to a number of long serving White Ferns, replacing with them fresh new faces. With just three wins at the 2022 world cricket tournament, the selectors dispensed with sentiment, in order to give the rising stars the opportunity to shine on the big stage.

The bold decision to axe experience in favour of youth and promise, is likely to set up a roller coaster ride, for the New Zealand Women's representatives in the next couple of seasons. However kiwi cricket fans, will hope some early pain will restore respectability to New Zealand women's cricket in the long term.