Spring Edition of Outright - Out Now

When the calendar ticks over to October, there’s a sense that summer is stirring—it’s a time with daylight-saving-induced long evenings, backyard gatherings, and a glimpse of warmer days ahead. For cricket fans, of course, it means something else entirely: the season has begun.

The Blackcaps kicked things off in style with a high-octane T20 series against Australia on the 1st day of October. There’s no time to catch a breath as England arrive hot on their heels for three T20s and three ODIs, before the West Indies touch down for a bumper tour stretching into December with five T20s, three ODIs, and three Tests. The new year takes the team to India for eight white-ball games in January before they return home to face South Africa in March for another blockbuster five-match T20 series.

Meanwhile, the White Ferns are right in the thick of the ICC Women’s World Cup as this edition of Outright lands, competing on the global stage in front of passionate Indian fans. February and March will showcase the White Ferns on home soil, with series against Zimbabwe and South Africa with a smattering of double-headers alongside the Blackcaps adding even more excitement to the calendar, but for now, their World Cup campaign is centre stage.

Closer to home, the domestic competitions will showcase the next wave of talent, with 23 new players earning their first professional contracts and participating in the 2025 Player Induction Forum as they embark on their cricketing journeys. Outright caught up with them at the Induction Forum, which was recently held in Auckland.

Inside this edition of Outright, we catch up with Katie Perkins, who has moved from the cricket field into a leadership role as Board Chair of Just Speak, and hear how it is to guide the launch of a major new fundraising campaign. We feature Otago Sparks duo Harriett Cuttance and Chloe Deerness, who are following a pathway in nursing alongside their cricket. We look back to a fascinating backstory with former Wellington leg-spinner Toivo Vaikvee, and we hear from Cole Briggs on his work as a Fish & Game officer in Otago. The Central Stags share insights into their experience at the Global Super League in Guyana over winter, while Paul Ford’s Insider highlights the quirks and history of the Plunket Shield as it celebrates 100 years.

Wherever you find yourself this summer—whether at the ground, watching from home, or sneaking a score update during work—you’ll be part of another season that promises its share of drama, achievement, and memorable moments. To read the latest edition of Outright please click here

We hope you enjoy this edition of Outright.

Ngā mihi nui

NZCPA