Bree Illing, a left-arm seamer from Auckland, and Bella James, a batter for Otago, have earned their initial central contracts with New Zealand Cricket. The announcement comes as the pair, part of the New Zealand A team, tour England.
The duo fills the contract spots left open by Hayley Jensen’s retirement and Sophie Devine’s decision to switch to a casual playing contract following her forthcoming ODI retirement post-World Cup.
Illing, aged 21 and known for her swing bowling, debuted in both ODI and T20I formats earlier this year against Sri Lanka. She topped the wicket-taking charts for Auckland in domestic competitions last season, with an impressive average of 21. Meanwhile, James played a crucial role in Otago’s latest Hallyburton Johnstone Shield triumph. Her international debut came against Australia in the ODI and T20I formats in late 2024 and early 2025, respectively.
Reflecting on their performances, New Zealand women’s head coach Ben Sawyer commented, “Bree had an outstanding series against Sri Lanka. To show up the way she did against a world-class batter like Chamari Athapaththu shows she’s ready for international cricket.” He further praised James, noting, “Bella’s been a consistent performer at the domestic level and had a great debut series against Australia last year. She’s got the competencies that we believe will succeed at the international level.”
The full roster of centrally contracted players, numbering 17, comprises notable names such as batters Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Gaze, and Polly Inglis. It also includes allrounders Amelia Kerr and Hannah Rowe, alongside bowlers Eden Carson, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, and Lea Tahuhu.
This latest development underlines NZC’s commitment to nurturing emerging talents within their women’s cricket framework.
