As part of the Annual Award ceremony, New Zealand Cricket has honoured the finest talents from its domestic circuit, across six major cricketing associations. The annual recognition celebrates standout performers who lit up the domestic season with their consistency, skill, and match-winning contributions. The award transcends sporting boundaries, as they stand as a testament to the unwarming commitment of the athletes to inspire young girls to be a part of the sport of cricket.
Jess Watkin – Northern Districts
Jess Watkin’s all-round brilliance made her a vital asset for Northern Districts this season, eventually bagging the Women’s Player of the Year Award for her Association. In the 2024/25 Women’s Super Smash, T20 tournament, the 26-year-old piled up 208 runs from 9 innings at a tournament-best strike rate of 142.46, while also claiming 7 wickets with the ball. In New Zealand Cricket Women’s One Day Competition, Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, she added 229 runs from 10 matches to her name.
Maddy Green – Auckland Cricket
Auckland’s Maddy Green enjoyed a sensational domestic season, stamping her authority as one of the country’s premier batters and winning the Women’s Player of the Year Award for Auckland Cricket. The experienced right-hander was in stupendous touch in the 2024/25 New Zealand Cricket Women’s One Day Competition, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with a staggering 698 runs from 11 innings at an average of 69.80. Her campaign even featured three centuries and three half-centuries, including the highest score of 126, a testament of her imperious touch with the bat.
Hannah Rowe – Central Hinds
Central Hinds’ Hannah Rowe proved to be a consistent match-winner with the ball this season, earning her the Women’s Player of the Year honour for her side. Rowe was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the 2024/25 New Zealand Cricket Women’s One Day Competition, clinching 18 wickets from just 9 matches at an impressive average of 16.61 and an economy of 3.76. Her ability to strike at crucial moments was even evident in the Women’s Super Smash, where she picked up 10 wickets from 8 innings, boasting a strike rate of 17.50- proving to be a vital cog for the Hinds.
Jess Kerr – Cricket Wellington
Jess Kerr delivered another season of miser and sharp bowling, claiming the Women’s Player of the Year award for Wellington Women. The reliable medium-pacer was a standout in the 2024/25 Women’s Super Smash, finishing with 14 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 16.28, including a match-winning spell of 4 for 11 — one of the best figures in the tournament. In the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, 2024/25, she picked up 16 wickets from 10 matches while maintaining the cheapest economy rate of 3.46. Her improved batting efforts saw her amass 305 runs, including the highest of 104*, in the Shield games, and 326 runs, at a strike rate of 119.41, in the T20 Smash games.
Kate Anderson – Canterbury Women
Kate Anderson made valuable contributions with the ball for Canterbury Women in the 2024/25 Women’s Super Smash, earning her the Women’s Player of the Year award for her side. She led their scoring in the Super Smash, posting 294 runs from 10 outings, at an average of 32.66 and a strike rate of 105.37. The right-arm medium pacer picked up 4 wickets from 5 innings, maintaining a tidy economy rate of 7.16 in a format where run containment is often as crucial as breakthroughs. In the One Day competition, she posted 262 runs from 8 outings and also claimed 4 wickets.
Eden Carson – Otago Sparks
Eden Carson enjoyed a phenomenal season with the ball, dominating across both formats to deservedly claim the Women’s Player of the Year award for Otago Sparks. The right-arm off-spinner was the leading wicket-taker in the 2024/25 New Zealand Cricket Women’s One Day Competition, claiming 22 wickets from 11 innings at an excellent average of 17.27. She mirrored that dominance in the Women’s Super Smash, finishing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker as well, with 18 scalps from 11 innings.
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