Jensen ends international career
White Ferns and Otago all-rounder Hayley Jensen has retired from international cricket.
Sparks fans have a nervous wait while she decides whether to continue at the domestic level.
The 32-year-old right-armer will take some more time to reflect on that decision.
But her 11-year international career is over.
Jensen said it felt like the right time to step away.
"Ever since I was 10 years old, I came home from my first cricket tournament and knew I wanted to be a White Fern," she said.
"To have had the chance to live that dream is something I'll always treasure.
"It's been an incredible journey — filled with challenges, growth, unforgettable experiences, and the best group of people I could've hoped to share it with.
"It's never easy to move on from something that's meant this much, but I know in my heart it's time.
"I'm proud of what we've achieved together and even prouder to have been part of the White Ferns environment."
Jensen made her debut for the White Ferns in both formats against the West Indies in 2014 and worked her way towards becoming an established member of the squad by 2018.
Jensen played 35 ODIs and 53 T20s for her country.
She arguably had more impact in the shorter format. Jensen claimed 48 wickets at an average of 20.54 and a strike rate of 18.7 in T20s, while in ODIs she claimed 28 wickets at 35.78.
Her ability to bowl a heavy delivery and hit the back of a length was a challenge for even the best batters in the world.
She is also a handy and powerful lower-order batter, but the White Ferns never really saw the best of her at the batting crease.
She was part of the White Ferns squad for the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup held in New Zealand and was part of four ICC Women's T20 World Cups (2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023).
She starred with the ball in the 2020 edition, where she claimed the player of the match award with figures of three for 16 in the opening game against Sri Lanka.
Jensen was also a key member of the team that claimed bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
She took three for 24 in the bronze medal match against England.
White Ferns coach Ben Sawyer thanked Jensen for her contributions to the team.
"I want to congratulate Hayley on a fantastic international career and thank her for her contributions to the White Ferns environment," he said.
"Hayley has made key contributions to the team with both bat and ball on the field and always brought a genuine passion and love for the game."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
7 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Milestone speaks to umpire's dedication
A great night for Kristie Simpson is when nobody notices she is in the room. That was a little hard late last month when the Eastern Southland umpire officiated her 150th national league netball game during the Southern Steel and Northern Mystics clash in Dunedin. It was a fitting moment for Simpson who now holds the national record for umpiring the most national league games. Asked how she felt about the milestone, Simpson joked "like I've been around for a wee while". But she acknowledged it was a special achievement and her longevity spoke to her determination as an umpire at the top of her game for the past 15 years. Simpson, who lives on a farm in Tokanui, grew up umpiring and officiated her first national game in 2010 during the transtasman ANZ Championship era. There had been many highlights through the years, including the league's first "sudden-death" game, which presented new challenges for players and umpires, and shuffling her life through Covid lockdowns, when most of the games were played in Auckland while she was based in Southland and had a family to think about as well. She also umpired the Steel's victory against the Mainland Tactix in Christchurch in 2017, days after Steel players were injured in the van crash. "We spend a lot of time with the players, we see them week-in, week-out," Simpson said. "Whilst we're trying to achieve different things, we've got a great respect for what they do, so that was definitely a game that stands out for a lot of emotions." Simpson, who has also officiated at Netball World Cups and the Commonwealth Games, has grown as an umpire through the years and never stopped developing. "I guess when you've been doing it for this long you get a picture memory bank of things that happen and how they go about happening. "You have a good idea of the players and what they're trying to achieve . . . and how the defence is trying to stop them. "You get a better feeling for that contest, contact and consistency across the court." But there were always things that kept her on her toes, including the addition of the two-point shot to the competition this season. The new rule turned the goal circle backwards — while shooters have traditionally tried to be under the post, they are now aiming to be in the two-point zone. "From our perspective, we've got to look in different places. We've got to have different angles to the court and therefore the defence is trying to do that opposite thing to what they're normally doing. "It has made it interesting, it's made it a new challenge, a new thing to think about and I think that's always good and exciting." Her enjoyment for the game had never wavered and the often thankless task of umpiring had been her way of being involved in the sport. "It's great to be a part of the game and this is the part that I can do well. That's the thing I like the most is being involved in the game. "But the best games are always when they don't notice us. "At the end of the day if you've got a game and you come off and someone's like 'oh did you umpire that game?', it's a big win." Simpson, who is also a coach for the national watch list umpire squad, is part of a unique crew from the Eastern Southland centre, home to five international umpires in Colleen Bond, Alison Cormack, Bobbi Brown, Jono Bredin and Simpson. "The joy of Eastern is we still have those umpires and those people in there helping," Simpson said. "They're such a great support, they've got so much knowledge and that gives you a lot of confidence, especially when it's the young umpires coming through when you're starting. "I feel very lucky and very privileged to have been able to come from there."
1News
a day ago
- 1News
'Like riding a bike': Casey Kopua makes return to elite-level netball
Former Silver Ferns captain Casey Kopua said she "absolutely loved every minute" of her first appearance six years on from retiring from elite-level netball. The 39-year-old netball legend was signed as injury cover for the Greater Western Sydney Giants who play in the Australian Super Netball league. Kopua filled in for Jodi-Ann Ward, who tore her ACL in a recent loss to the West Coast Fever. Kopua had initially retired from the Silver Ferns in 2017 following several knee injuries and the birth of her first child, but the star returned to the black dress in 2019. She finished her career as a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and as a Netball World Cup champion in 2019. ADVERTISEMENT The team lost 71-61 to the Melbourne Vixen but Kopua said she "absolutely loved every minute". "I feel like my lungs at patches were heaving. But it's just like riding a bike, if you put a ball in front of me, I'll go and go and go. "It's definitely a lot faster [in Australia] but I feel like you can get away with a bit more in the circle. "I definitely think for me it's my mind and being able to concentrate and focus those channels again, but I can only go up from here hopefully." Kopua was signed on for three weeks with an extension possible.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
King's Birthday Honours: 'Wild' how far women's cricket has come
White Ferns captain Sophie Devine. Photo: Marty Melville White Ferns captain Sophie Devine has witnessed the dramatic increase in opportunities afforded to female cricketers, but has also seen the downsides of a packed schedule. Devine has been reflecting on her career since being recognised in the King's Birthday Honours for services to cricket , which she describes as a huge honour. Devine was selected for the White Ferns in 2006 at age 17 and has become one of the sports most dominant players. Last year she led the White Ferns to their maiden T20 World Cup title in the United Arab Emirates. The 35-year-old holds a number of records including becoming the first cricketer to score five consecutive 50-plus scores in T20's in the 2019/2020 season. The gains that female cricketers have made over the last decade have been extraordinary, given that back in 2014 the most a White Fern could earn was around $25,000 a year. The highest-ranked White Fern, who also plays a full domestic season, has the potential now to earn around $180,000. By the time New Zealand's best female cricketer Amelia Kerr gets paid to play in leagues around the world, including the lucrative WPL in India, she's pulling in half a million dollars a year. Devine said when she started out, she could never have imagined the opportunities which are now on offer in women's cricket. Sophie Devine playing for the White Ferns in 2006. Photo: PHOTOSPORT "It's been unbelievable, even the last five or six years it's gone to a completely another level. I always wished that we would be able to be full-time professionals but to see the money that's available now through some of these franchise competitions and the way that cricket boards around the world are starting to really invest in the women's game. I guess I'm most excited for what the future holds in terms of these youngsters coming through," Devine said. "When I first started playing for the White Ferns in 2006 I thought it was pretty cool that I got a bit of lunch money and things paid for in terms of flights and accommodation. "It's still got a long way to go ...it's part of the journey I think in terms of equal pay and things like that but it's been pretty wild to think about how far it has come." Since the start of the franchise cricket era, top players like Devine have also been sought after in competitions like Australia's Big Bash League and India's WPL. Increased opportunities have led to heavy workloads. "Last year after winning the T20 World Cup, less than 48 hours later we were on a plane to India and playing in a series a couple of days later and the Australian men were in a similar position a couple of years ago as well. "We know that's part of the job and why you get paid what you do ...it's a serious conversation that needs to be had in terms of the scheduling because it's only going to get busier. Hopefully we can manage it so that there are opportunities to allow players to get breaks, particularly young ones. I think of Melie Kerr, who could have another 10-15 year international career and you don't want to see her end her career early because she's burnt out. "Important that players take the opportunity to step away when they need to and not get sucked into the vacuum that can be not just international cricket but franchise cricket as well. You don't want to feel like you're missing out but your mind and body are your tools of your trade so it's a really important conversation that needs to be had." Devine took a two-month break from cricket earlier this year to give her own mind and body a rest, the second time she's taken a break in her career to prioritise her well-being. Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine celebrate last year's World Cup win. Photo: PHOTOSPORT She is excited about joining up with the White Ferns in camp in Christchurch this week, as the side starts its journey towards another pinnacle event, the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in India later this year. Pinnacle events excite her as much as they did when she first joined the White Ferns. "Absolutely they do, I guess being a little bit older and wiser it's how do you manage those emotions and energy going into that because those pinnacle events are so big and they seem to roll around every year. I think for me it's about how do I manage my expectations and my energy levels." Sport has been a huge part of Devine's life and admits the thought of retirement scares her a little. "Yes, in all honesty, that's probably something I've been toying with for the last 12 months or so and what does that look like, trying to make that transition as smooth as possible. It's a pretty scary concept for a lot of athletes but I've had fantastic support. It's going to be very different to what I've done for over half of my life, which is travelling the world playing cricket, which I've been very fortunate to do." Devine knows that in retirement she wants to stay involved in sport. "There's so many more opportunities opening up in the women's game whether that's coaching, commentating, being involved in the media side of things. Fingers crossed I can stay involved in some way, I certainly feel I've got a lot to give back."
