It's been a long time coming but another win for New Zealand women's cricket has been announced with its first NZ A squad in more than 20 years.
A 14-strong NZ A squad has been named to play England A in three T20s and three one day matches.
It's the first time they'll face another A-level opponent. The last time an NZ A Women's squad was named was 2002 where they played against Australian youth teams.
It is huge moment in women’s cricket said Craig Cumming, who will coach the one day side.
"We need to bridge the gap between domestic cricket and the White Ferns and it's such a big step.
"The women's game internationally is improving so we need to have this step in place for our players so they don't just go from playing domestic cricket and then to the international stage.
"This will give them the experience to play against quality players to then come back and understand what they need to do to get better so when they do play for the White Ferns they're far more prepared mentally and physically," said Cumming.
Seven players with White Ferns experience have been named - White Fern Hayley Jensen will captain both sides
"It's a massive step and I know there's been a lot of talk about bridging the gap between domestic teams and the New Zealand team," Jensen said.
"There's a lot of growth around the world with the women's game and I think we're kind of slipping behind a little bit so this is a really important step for New Zealand cricket."
Selection was based on domestic performances with an eye to developing future White Ferns.The series will be played in Queenstown, Dunedin and Nelson.
The squads will be coached by major association coaches - Central Hinds’ Jacob Oram (T20) and Otago Sparks’ Craig Cumming (One Day), with assistance from NZC pathway coaches Sara McGlashan and Graeme Aldridge.
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