Bree Illing, a left-arm seamer from Auckland, and Bella James, a batter from Otago, have received their first central contracts from New Zealand Cricket (NZC).
Both players are currently on tour in England with New Zealand A. They have taken the spots of Hayley Jensen and Sophie Devine.
Jensen has recently retired, while Devine has chosen to go with a casual playing agreement after announcing her ODI retirement following the upcoming World Cup.
Illing, a 21-year-old swing bowler, made her One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) debut this summer against Sri Lanka. Last season, she also led Auckland in domestic cricket as the top wicket-taker with an average of 21.
James received her contract after her strong batting helped Otago win another Hallyburton Johnstone (HBJ) Shield title. She debuted in ODIs and T20Is against Australia in December 2024 and March 2025, respectively.
“Bree had an amazing series against Sri Lanka. Her performance against a top batter like Chamari Athapaththu shows she is ready for international play,” said Ben Sawyer, the head coach of the New Zealand women’s team.
“Bella has consistently performed well at the domestic level and had a fantastic debut series against Australia last year. We believe she has the skills to succeed on the international stage.”
The full list of central contracts, 17 in all, include batters Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Gaze and Polly Inglis, allrounders Amelia Kerr and Hannah Rowe, and bowlers Eden Carson, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold and Lea Tahuhu.
