Hayley Jensen sustained an injury during the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final and will miss the ODI series.
New Zealand’s women’s cricket team will have to proceed without seamer Hayley Jensen for the upcoming ODIs against Sri Lanka. Jensen suffered an injury while warming up for the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final. Fran Jonas, a left-arm spinner, has been named as her replacement, as confirmed by head coach Ben Sawyer on Monday.
Sawyer commented on Jensen’s condition, stating, “Jensen will undergo further assessment before the T20I series. We are hopeful for her return in time for those matches, but her availability will depend on the evaluations by thephysiotherapy team. Fran Jonas is scheduled to arrive tonight and will join the team tomorrow morning.”
Jensen’s injury marks another setback for Otago, as she was poised to rejoin the national side after a two-year absence. She is the second Otago player ruled out for the Sri Lanka ODIs, following Bella James, who also suffered a hamstring injury during the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield competition and was replaced by Lauren Down in the ODI squad.
Adding to New Zealand’s challenges, Sophie Devine is currently on a break, prioritizing her well-being, and Amelia Kerr is unavailable for the series due to her commitments in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) with Mumbai Indians. Furthermore, Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair, and Molly Penfold are also sidelined due to injuries. In Devine’s absence, Suzie Bates will lead the team as stand-in captain.
The ODI series, consisting of three matches, is set to commence on March 4 in Napier. The subsequent matches will be held in Nelson on March 7 and 9. New Zealand is aiming to break their current streak of three consecutive ODI losses, while Sri Lanka is looking to recover from their recent ODI series defeat against Ireland in Belfast, where they lost 2-1.
