Bella james

Women's 13-strong squad to face Australia in a three-match ODI series in Wellington next week. James, who has represented the domestic giants Otago Sparks 137 times since 2014, got her maiden call-up as a reward for her strong domestic form.

The right-handed opener currently sits second on the Hallyburton Johnstone (HBJ) Shield run-scoring charts with 293 runs after five games, including a match-winning century against last year's runners the Wellington Blaze late last month. The 25-year-old’s call-up follows the news last month that New Zealand Women's opening batter Georgia Plimmer had sustained a bone stress reaction in her left hip, ruling her out of cricket until next year.