Maniototo local Eden Carson is making a name for herself – she has been awarded a White Ferns contract and named in the T20 cricket team for the Commonwealth Games.

Eden, who is studying to become a vet nurse, is currently away with her new team at a training camp in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty.

She told the Central App she knows being selected is a big deal.

“It feels pretty surreal really, it hasn’t kicked in at the moment.

“I was working on the dairy farm and I was behind the cows when I got the email.”

Eden said the team had been really welcoming to the newcomers and they were a good group of girls.

“I’ve had a gym session this morning…the body is a bit sore but I’m getting back into it as well.

“It’s a net session this afternoon - doing bowling and batting.

“I’ve been playing cricket since primary school and right through high school… my family are into it and my little brother played too,” Eden said.

For now cricket is her main focus, and she’ll have to miss some of her practical hours required for the clinical side of her study, although she thinks she’ll manage to complete her vet nursing papers.

“I’ll have to put my hours on hold until next year.”

Her father, sheep and beef farmer Tony Carson, said he was really proud of her achievements.

The 20-year-old Eden plays for the Otago Volts during the domestic season and is one of the six new faces with a White Ferns contract for 2022 -2023. 

There is one other newcomer named in the team for Birmingham: Auckland wicket keeper Izzy Gaze.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) High Performance Cricket general manager Bryan Stronach acknowledged some tough calls had to be made as the team and NZC considered the next few seasons of White Ferns cricket.

“It’s never easy coming up with a final 17 players,” Bryan said.

“The six new faces [have] the potential to become well-performed and successful White Ferns.”

Birmingham 2022 will be the first time T20 cricket has been included in the Games and also the first time women’s cricket has been on the sports programme at any Commonwealth Games.

NZC chief executive David White said it was a huge honour for cricket to be part of the Commonwealth Games.

“It’s a terrific time for cricket to be back at the Commonwealth Games – and it’s another excellent development for the women’s and girl’s game, both here and around the world,” he said.

“I’m sure the players are going to love the experience of being part of a wider New Zealand team, and the slightly different context of the Games environment.”

The naming of the cricketers takes the total number of athletes currently selected to the New Zealand Team for Birmingham 2022 to 95.

The New Zealand Women's Cricket Team is: Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Sophie Devine, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Jess McFadyen, Georgia Plimmer, and Hannah Rowe.

The T20 squad for the Commonwealth Games. PHOTO: White Ferns

 The T20 cricket competition will begin at Edgbaston Stadium on July 29. Click here for the full cricket schedule.

Well done Eden - it’s awesome to see Central sportspeople representing Aotearoa.

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