Sophie Devine in search for NZ's quickest bowler
Former White Ferns cricket captain Sophie Devine has joined the search for New Zealand's fastest young bowlers.
Devine is joining forces with Black Cap Lockie Ferguson as the women's ambassador for the NZC Youth Fast Bowling Challenge.
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Among the most successful women's cricketers of all time, Devine represented New Zealand on 317 occasions across both formats, never playing a test, claiming 241 wickets.
She captained New Zealand 120 times, leading the Fernsto a historic ICC Women's T20 World Cup title in 2024.
Primarily known for her swing and accuracy with the ball, Devine was more than capable of cranking up the pace, particularly early in her career where she reached speeds in excess of 120km/h.
The White Ferns great said she was excited to help find New Zealand's next generation of fast bowlers.
"Fast bowling is an incredibly important part of the game," she said.
"It provides a real point of difference being able to bowl at speeds that makes the batter uncomfortable, so as a captain, having someone who can bowl really quick is a nice tool to have up your sleeve."
Devine said the competition was a great platform for players to showcase their raw pace.
"We've got some really exciting young fast bowlers in our pathway already and I'm hoping we'll find a few more through this competition over the next month. We want to find the girls who love bowling fast and give them the support to take it as far as they can."
First staged in the 2000's before a hiatus, the Fast Bowling Challenge has featured prominent future Black Caps including Trent Boult, Corey Anderson, Jimmy Neesham, and Lockie Ferguson.
The 2026 finals will both take place at the Basin Reserve.
The boys finals during the lunch break on day three of the first test between against India on November 21 and the girls set during the first ODI against Bangladesh on December 18.
