The Central Hinds are welcoming two new players to the contracted squad inked in for season 2026/27.

Both talents have already made their mark in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day and Super Smash T20 national competitions — with Wairarapa’s Lizzy Cohr coming off a breakthrough season.

The 23-year-old off-spinner made a sensational entrance on Hinds debut early last season.

After having been whistled to Pukekura Park at short notice as an injury replacement for Ocean Bartlett (concussion), Cohr starred with 4/35 in a 27-run win over Canterbury.

Next game, she did it again with an even better haul of 4/13 against Wellington Blaze at Palmerston North, then nabbed 4/68 against the Otago Sparks a fortnight later, and broke into the Super Smash side with an impressive tally of 14 wickets from just four one-dayers.

 

Cohr had extensive experience in the CD pathway system: she was a national champion with the 2022 CDU19 women’s team; a Mike Shrimpton Trophy champion with Wairarapa in 2024/25; and racked up strong performances for CD A Women over several seasons.

CD’s high performance manager Dave Meiring said it was exactly what he wanted to see.

“Lizzy has proved to everybody that she belongs at this level when the opportunity presented itself, and we have no doubt she’ll continue to make every post a winner. 

“Her work ethic and desire to improve stand her in good stead as she heads into the contracted squad so it’s exciting to see how much further she will be able to go, with the added support around her.”

Cohr was making herself breakfast in Ireland when Hinds head coach Deepak Joon called her with the news. She’s spending the winter playing and coaching for Rush Cricket Club, near Dublin, alongside Hinds teammate Cate Pedersen.

Cohr finiahed last season as the joint leading one-day wicket-taker with Rosemary Mair, and was named as the John Turkington Forestry Emerging Player of the Year at CD’s end-of-season awards.

“Lizzy will add to our strong spin bowling depth,” noted Meiring.

“Playing alongside Ashtuti Kumar as a second off-spinner last season gave us added options through the middle overs, strengthening the team’s ability to control the game. 

Lizzy’s also a powerful striker of the ball so we will be looking to engage that side of her game in both formats as she gains more confidence in her all-round game.”

 

Northern Districts left-hander moves to CD

 

Cohr is joined on today’s contracts list by former Auckland Hearts and Northern Brave representative, Yaz Kareem.

Kareem, 26, is a potent top-order batter who brings six summers of Domestic experience as she switches to CD from Northern Districts where she has been a contracted player since 2023.

A left-handed batter and occasional right-arm bowler, Kareem’s one-day best is 79 and, with left-handed batters a rare commodity nationally, her move brings further tantalising options for the Hinds who now have two left-handed batters in Kareem and Flora Devonshire.

“Yaz comes to us as an experienced player at this level which is a major asset following the retirements of some of long-standing Hinds,” Meiring said.

“She was part of the HBJ-winning ND side last season so we believe she comes to us with a good awareness of what success looks like at Domestic level — and she’s also no stranger to our area, having worked with her long-term coach Debu Banik in New Plymouth and Whanganui for the last couple of seasons.”

Meiring said CD was impressed by the way she builds her innings, and her ability to bat for long periods of time. 

“Yaz will add great depth to our top order, and we hope that competition for spots will make the group hungry for performance — and bring out the best in each other.

“She’s an exciting player to bring into the group and we hope to keep developing the power she possesses to ensure she can be a dominant player in both formats for us.”

 

Devonshire’s step up to a maiden WHITE FERNS contract has allowed CD to expand its overall contracted group (including our trio of NZC-contracted WHITE FERNS) by one player.

Each of New Zealand’s Major Association contracts 13 women per season for Domestic cricket and the process is required to be conducted over to two rounds, with 12 players named in today’s round one.

The 13th contract will be formalised later this month, but missing from last season’s group will be Wairarapa leg-spinner Bartlett who has elected to take a season off, after two concussions in the past 10 months.

Nelson right-arm swing icon Claudia Green has meanwhile announced her retirement, so opportunites knock for CD’s youthful class of 2026/27.

The Hinds finished fourth in last season’s Super Smash, missing out on the Finals by a fraction, and fourth in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield despite some stellar individual and team performances. 

New season Domestic schedules will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

• Yasmeen (Yaz) Kareem reaction:

 

“Firstly, I really enjoyed my time at ND over the last few years. I’m looking forward to a new challenge with CD. The Hinds are in an exciting place, and hopefully we can build on what was achieved last season.

“I’m looking forward to slotting in and showing what I can do. I’ve been training in the CD region for a few years now, so I’m sure I’ll be seeing some familiar faces around. 

“I’m also looking forward to getting stuck in with the girls and contributing to what will hopefully be a few trophies.”

 

• Elizabeth (Lizzy) Cohr reaction:

 

“It means a lot to get a contract, and I am excited to be a part of the squad. I rang my parents to tell them as soon as I got off the phone!

“I’m really looking forward to being more involved in and around the team, and working towards a big season ahead. I’m also excited to have the backing and support of CD to grow my game, and having access to more resources to do this.

“It’s going to be super exciting to get back to New Zealand and get to work with the team — looking forward to the season ahead to see what we can do!”

 

 

 

2026/27

CENTRAL HINDS CONTRACTS

 

[One to be added]

 

Aniela Apperley — Hawke’s Bay

Georgia Atkinson — Wairarapa

Elizabeth Cohr* — Wairarapa

Grace Foreman — Taranaki

Kate Gaging — Nelson

Yasmeen Kareem* — District TBC

Ashtuti Kumar — Manawatū

Emma McLeod — Wairarapa

Jess Ogden — Manawatū

Cate Pedersen — Hawke’s Bay

Kerry Tomlinson — Hawke’s Bay

Abby Treder — Manawatū

 

NZC-contracted WHITE FERNS 

 

Flora Devonshire** — Hawke’s Bay

Rosemary Mair — Hawke’s Bay

Hannah Rowe — Manawatū

 

 

* First Central Hinds contract

** First WHITE FERNS contract

 

 

Article added: Wednesday 5 August 2026