Maddy Green: Auckland Hearts player previews the first fixture of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield

The Auckland Hearts are set to get their season of domestic cricket underway with the first round of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield kicking off today.  

They’re set to take on Otago in the first of ten one day fixtures – a rematch of last year’s final.  

Maddy Green, White Fern and member of the Auckland Hearts will be playing her 100th Hallyburton Johnstone Shield match, and caught up with D’Arcy for a chat about the competition and opening fixture. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
The Auckland Hearts season of domestic cricket gets going this morning.
First round Halliburton Johnston Shield beginning. They're taking on Otago
of the Auckland Hearts team the first of ten one
day affectures. It's a rematch from the final last year.
Maddie Green the White Fern, joins us now from the

(00:33):
Auckland Hearts to be playing her one hundredth Haliburton Johnston
Shield match. That is so cool. She's with us now
to talk more about the competition and the opening next year.
I get a Maddie, you're looking forward to getting back
on the tools again after the World.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Cup, Hey, Darcy, Yeah, looking forward to getting back into
some cricket. Nice to be back with my Auckland teammates.
And yeah back int HBJ cricket this weekend, which is
really exciting to start to the season.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Well.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
I like the way you say HBJ. You don't run
with the whole Halliburton Johnston Shield thing. It becomes a
bit March, doesn't it.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
That's too much of a mouthful for me, And I
just know I'll stuff it up.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
So you've come back from the World Cup. You didn't
have great success, although the way it was set up,
let's face it, you were doomed when you have to
keep going to Sri Lanka and Monson sees another story.
But to be able to shed that and then fully
focus again on a brand new competition, that's got to
be it's got to lift you somewhat, doesn't it.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, it was obviously pretty disappointing how we sort of
ended up going at the World Cup. And yeah, like
you said, the rain was frustrating, but at the end
of the day, just didn't play well enough when it mattered.
And it's just nice to come home and be into
a summer of cricket back here and so that's really
exciting and nice to come back to domestic cricket as well,
and obviously goal is to go out there and play

(01:50):
well and yeah, put some performances out there. So you're
looking forward to being back with the girls and the
working girls and ready for a big weekend against Otago
have been probably the form team and domester cricket, I
would say in the last few years in this format.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
It's a great way to start defending, so Targo sparks,
you take them on at home, and they're not exactly
short on quality players. I suppose you look at the
ever present Susie Baits when you're playing against someone you
know so well because you played international credit with them
and this had happened a lot in your trade, does
that give anyone an age.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
Or I think you know obviously as I said, No,
someone like Susie really well, and a lot of those
sort of white fans girls that are based on here,
so you get to know strengths and weaknesses, but at
the same time they get to know yours as well.
So yeah, lot, I think we know each other's games
pretty well, and I'm sure they'll be a little bit

(02:45):
of ben to each way and trying to be really
competitive against your White Fans teammates. So I think it'll
be a good contest this weekend. Yeah. As I said,
they've been sort of the form team and the domestic
fifty over comp for the last few seasons now, so yeah,
a really big challenge for US. Yeah, first round, which
will be great first round.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
And I believe it's number one hundred and h Jay,
you've been around a while, that's a lot of one
day cricket to be playing locally.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
Yeah, a lot of cricket, but it's good. I've been
playing domestic cricket for probably nearly sixteen years now, so yeah,
one hundred games for Auckland, which is really cool. Never
thought I'd probably be playing this long. So it's a
real privilege and nice to be back in Auckland Colors.
Obviously had a few seasons with the Wellington Blaze, but
it's nice to be back home and sort of I
guess that that more towards the back end of my

(03:32):
career and hopefully contributing to a younger side up in
Auckland and giving back in that way, I suppose. So
just just want to go out there and put some
performances together for the girls and hopefully help get the
girls across the line.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
You've got some various stablished players on your side. You
mentioned the youth. Where do you look toward as far
as the next generation coming through? Who excites you out there?

Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah? I mean we've got some experience in our white fans,
from our white fans in terms of the Auckland sight here,
but you've got to remember as well, some of those
girls are still bloody young, you know, as he gazes
twenty one, but she's played a lot of international cricket.
And yeah, there's a lot of talent coming through. I
think in the Auckland region we've got a nice league
spinner called Rashika just well, really talented. She's she's pretty small,

(04:19):
but it reminds me a bit of a very successful
Indian it's been called pernam YadA who played for Indiana.
Is very successful. And we've got lots of talented all
Rounda's coming through. I think Bella Armstrong was looking really
good with the bat and there's been bowling a bit
offspin for us as well. And you know she's in
the mid twenties now and got that confidence from playing
a few years at the best at cricket. So yeah, look,
it's pretty exciting to look around the country and see

(04:41):
the talented youngsters coming through. And I think for old
girls like me, it's just still making sure I'm going
out there and competing with them and yeah, trying to
score some runs.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
You beg yourself there, right, you've got the game. You're
going to go out there and cause the rockets, aren't you.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, I guess at the start of the season, you've
find a look and you go. You don't never know
how it's going to go. And had a pretty good
season last year, so micheallenge just to go out there
and back it up. And you know, I've been playing
for a week while now, so for me it's just
trying to lead from the front and trustcore some runs
and hopefully help my teammates at the other end as well.
So yeah, I sort of relished that role of being

(05:14):
a senior player and trying to help contribute to to
you know, some of out less experienced players, I guess.
So you know, for me that's nice to be able
to play that role as well.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Have you changed anything in the off season. I mean
you've been playing obviously, but anything around your attitude, your style,
you've got to always look to improve. Where does that come?

Speaker 3 (05:32):
Oh yeah, absolutely. I think in this game you got
to keep trying to get better all the time. And
for me have obviously just come from a World Cup
in India and Subcontinent and it's been a huge focus
on playing spin and I think for me that's probably
been over the last few years. It's something I've really
tried to work hard at and get better at and
adding shots to my game. Being able to access different

(05:53):
areas of the ground, reverse sweeps and things like that
I think have really helped me playing spin. So yeah,
that's a constant work on. I think you know, Darcie
that spin plays a massive, massive role in the woman's game.
So for me, it's just how do I keep trying
to be really efficient in that regard and then use
the pace that's on off or when I get it.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
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