Ireland's calling for cricketing star

It was a bittersweet farewell for Claudia Green at the end of the school year with her pupils at St Paul's Primary School.

She left it until the last minute to tell them that she wouldn't be returning in the new year, not until they had received their updated timetables, because she's off to England to play for Balbriggan Cricket Club.

While Nelson might be her home, Claudia spends a lot of time travelling the country with the Central Districts Hinds in the summer.

Having played with the team since the summer of 2018-19, she's tallied up 35 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield List A matches and 45 Women's Super Smash T20 games while notching up 61 wickets.

The right-arm medium pacer's best stats came less than a month ago, when she picked up 5-30 against the Auckland Hearts in a four wicket loss.

In 2021, Claudia was selected to play for the New Zealand Xl Women ahead of England's tour of New Zealand and took a five-wicket bag, impressing selectors and earning her invitation to the White Ferns Squad winter training camps in preparation for their tour of England.

Claudia was also part of the travelling squad for the White Ferns in 2021 and 2022, where she would go on to win a bronze medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games as a reserve.

She says it's exciting to be on the cusp of her first full overseas season, with plans to return for the start of the next domestic season with the Central Hinds.

"Playing cricket abroad is a great way to play the game all year round and hit the ground running for the New Zealand season.

"It's becoming more popular in the women's sphere for players to head overseas for a UK summer and. . . it shows the growth of women's cricket around the world and the investment clubs are putting into their female players and programmes globally."

Claudia says she's also looking forward to contributing to the development of the youth and girls programmes at Balbriggan Cricket Club.

"It's an awesome opportunity to play some cricket in a different environment, with new people and regular cricket of varied levels to develop my game and confidence.

"I'm looking forward to the change of lifestyle that living in Ireland and travelling will bring and a chance to explore Europe between games."