Turner makes meteoric rise in women’s cricket

Press, 7 December 1988, Page 42

Turner makes meteoric rise in women’s cricket

Jenny Turner, aged 19, the youngest member of the New Zealand women’s cricket team currently contesting the World Cup in Australia, has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top in the sport. She has just one full season for Canterbury behind her but sound performances at the national tournament last season obviously drew the selectors’ attention. Turner was named in the national side principally for her medium pace bowling. She gets appreciable in-swing but has also developed a variation ball to go the other way. Against the Netherlands on Sunday at the North Sydney Oval she showed some of her best form with one

wicket for eight runs from her allotted 11 overs, including five maidens. Although a tai! end batswoman for New Zealand the Sydenham captain has been in fine club form with the bat this season with several scores in the forties. Like several of the national team she is a brilliant fielder but has no preferred position, being as happy in the outfield as in close. While the World Cup is Turner’s first outing for New Zealand at outdoor cricket she has already appeared for the national indoor side. In hockey too she has an impressive record, having played for Canterbury, New Zealand under 20 and, recently,

was included in the national training squad. Turner’s ambition to become a double inter-

national seems close to realisation. So far she has been able to fit both sports in without conflict but has been excused from a hockey training camp while in Australia. While a pupil at Hornby High School, Turner distinguished herself not only on the sports field but also in the classroom. Last year she took prizes for first in biology and mathematics and won the seventh form prize for General Excellence. This year she has been studying commerce at the University of Canterbury with the aim of becoming an accountant. Sporting ability seems to run in the Turner family.

Her mother, Margaret, played cricket for Canterbury and her brother, Graeme, and sister, Caroline, are also active sports people. It was from watching her parents play that Turner learnt the game, first playing competively against boys in the primary school grades and then progressing to Hornby High School, St Albans and Sydenham. A competitive and intelligent cricketer who enjoys tournament pressure, Turner has a good match temperament and the big games seem to bring out the best in her. Her success in Australia has confirmed that she has made the transition to international cricket with ease. — Marg Francis.