Christchurch will play host next week to 60 junior schoolgirl cricketers selected in five teams from throughout the South Island.

The girls will participate in the annual Southern Zone Primary/Under-14 Girls cricket tournament which will be played at the Ilam Playing Fields. The teams participating in this years tournament are Canterbury Country, Otago, a Mid/South Canterbury combined team and two Christchurch teams - Christchurch Red and Christchurch Black.

Teams will play one another in 40-over matches over the five days of the tournament with the winner determined by the team that has the most points at the conclusion of the tournament. At stake is the Southern Zone Girls Under-14 Trophy currently held by Canterbury Country.

The local teams are:

Christchurch Red

Epenesa Aukuso
Emily Ballinger
Andrea Brown
Natasha Carruth
Helen Coghlan
Rebecca Day
Wendy Fuller
Tessa King
Nicole Sullivan
Leah Tahuhu
Christine Wilson
Abbie Winder

Coach: Erin Kelly
Manager: Mary-Ann Wilson

Christchurch Black

Lucy Brown
Caitlin Eves
Bronwyn Flewellen
Alice Forbes
Meg Kendall
Frances Mackay
Liz Moore
Lizzie Rae
Sarah Rigden
Sarah Rosanowski
Kelsie Harris
Corina Wilson

Coach: Selena Charteris
Manager: Paul Scott

Both Christchurch coaches have represented Canterbury at Under-21 level with Charteris a member of the strong Canterbury women's team last season and Kelly representing Otago as a draft player.

The event will be the second major tournament for young women players to be held in Christchurch in the last three weeks. Between Boxing Day and New Year, the National Under-21 Women's Tournament was held at the Ilam Fields with six teams participating. At this tournament, important for the development of the future strength of the Clear White Ferns, local team Canterbury finished second, losing in the final to the pre tournament favorite Central Districts.

© Canterbury Cricket Association