Lauren Down makes her return to New Zealand’s central contracts list

New Zealand Cricket released the central contract list for the 2024–25 season, and 17 players were announced on the list. Amid the announcement, White Ferns’ batter Lauren Down has made her return to the central contract list. 

The 29-year-old had declined the central contract last season as she was on a maternity break. However, she has been named in the New Zealand women’s ODI squad to tour England in the latter stages of June 2024. It is worth noting that Down has played 28 ODIs and 13 T20Is and last competed for the side in an ODI game against Bangladesh in December 2022.

Furthermore, the 2024–25 contract period will begin on August 1, and the players have a deadline of June 17 to accept the contract offer. Apart from Down, wicketkeeper Polly Inglis has been named on the central contract list as well. Inglis received the offer for the first time after her stellar performances for New Zealand A in three one-dayers against England A at home in March.

We've landed on a strong list of 17 names: Ben Sawyer

After the announcement of the list, New Zealand women's head coach Ben Sawyer came forward to talk about how the upcoming 2025 ODI World Cup was a huge part of deciding which players would be offered a central contract and that the board was happy with the group of players selected. 

"We've landed on a strong list of 17 names that we think are going to play an important part over the next 12 months... A big part of the selection process this year was looking at who could take part in the 2025 ODI World Cup,” Ben Sawyer was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

New Zealand Women central contract offers for 2024-25

Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Sophie Devine, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Polly Inglis, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe and Lea Tahuhu