The Central Hinds will have two contract newbies on the up this summer with Taranaki’s Jessie Hollard joining Elizabeth Cohr in the 2026/27 training squad.

A power-packed opening batter with wicketkeeping and leadership skills, 22-year-old Hollard has impressed along the CD pathway over recent seasons — as well as in CD inter-district competition where she captains Taranaki.

Hollard was a key member of the well-performed CD U19 team over three editions of the national tournament — winning the crown in her final year, and routinely among the top run-scorers.

She has also represented CD A since 2022 — becoming a regular in the side, with 26 caps, and having captained the team.

 

But unlike Cohr, Hollard has yet to make her Central Hinds debut so she was “very excited” to learn she’d been promoted to the 13-strong contracted Hinds squad for the coming season.

Currently playing in the Essex Women’s Premier League for the UK summer, the call came from Hinds head coach Deepak Joon just after she had finished a club training at Bishop’s Stortford CC.

“It was a pretty surreal moment,” Hollard says. 

“The first people I told were my fiancé Daimen, my Mum and Dad, and my Nana and Poppa who stay up overnight in New Zealand to watch my games being live-scored.

They have all been a big part of my cricket journey and continue to support me.”

Back home, Hollard is based in New Plymouth, and represents the Stratford Cricket Club. It’s a world away from England where the sweltering summer of 2026 has left gaping cracks in sun-browned turf across many area of the country.

 

 

“The heatwaves in the UK have been quite challenging,” said Hollard, “but it forced me to adapt my game to suit the conditions — and I have enjoyed not having any games rained off.”

With New Zealand now bracing for the Super El Niño, it could be useful prep for a similar, bone-dry summer here.

Come what may, Hollard can’t wait to get started with the Hinds and assembling for preseason camps for the first time as a contracted player.

“It means a lot for my cricket,” she says.

“It’s a great opportunity to be around and learn from experienced players, and I’m looking forward to being around the girls and seeing what we can achieve this season.”

 

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CD High Performance Manager Dave Meiring said Hollard had been on the radar for a number of seasons after her strong U19 campaigns.

“A lengthy injury break set her back for a bit, but Jessie worked hard over the last two seasons and performed well for the CD A team with both bat and gloves.

“We view Jessie as a back-up keeping option for the Hinds, and she’s dynamic player at the top of the order who can transfer her skills across both formats of the game.”

Meiring said it was always a special pleasure to reward players who have performed at each of the levels throughout CD with a spot on the contract list.

 

 

 

“Like Elizabeth Cohr last season, it feels like when Jessie gets an opportunity, she will be ready to take it.”

The Hinds season gets underway on the weekend of 14 and 15 November in Palmerston North with the opening twin rounds of the national one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.

The team has a dream run of eight games at home — variously at Palmerston North’s Fitzherbert Park, New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park and Napier’s McLean Park, before playing their last two one-dayers away in Auckland. 

A top two qualification is the goal in order to make the 20 February national final at Wellington’s Cello Basin Reserve.

In between, the team will compete in the T20 Super Smash over the holiday season, with that schedule still under wraps.

Hollard’s signature completes the annual allocation of 13 contracted spots in the Central Hinds squad., in addition to the team's NZC-contracted trio of WHITE FERNS.

Hollard joins Taranaki teammate Grace Foreman on the 2026/27 roster.

 

2026/27

CENTRAL HINDS CONTRACTS

 

Aniela Apperley — Hawke’s Bay

Georgia Atkinson — Wairarapa

Elizabeth Cohr* — Wairarapa

Grace Foreman — Taranaki

Kate Gaging — Nelson

Jessie Hollard* — Taranaki

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: Tuesday 25 August 2026