Anna Peterson, a New Zealand allrounder has announced her retirement from international cricket, New Zealand Cricket was confirmed on Tuesday (October 5). Anna Peterson, who turned 31 last month, represented her country 65 times in international cricket.
Anna Peterson Will Continue Playing Domestic Cricket And Work As Rugby Manager For Women
Anna Peterson, who played 6 5matches for New Zealand across one-day and T20 formats, said she would continue in domestic cricket while also working as a rugby manager for women and girls.
“I’ve loved every minute of playing for the White Ferns and representing New Zealand,” said Peterson. “A massive thanks has to go to my family, friends, coaches, teammates, and all those who helped me throughout my international career. The White Ferns have a special team culture and I’ve been privileged to make some lifelong connections in the team while I’ve also enjoyed meeting and competing against players from across the globe.”
Despite quitting the international circuit at the age of 31, Anna Peterson will continue playing domestic cricket where she will be representing Auckland Hearts. She will also be working at North Harbour Rugby as the Rugby Manager for Women and Girls.
“I still feel I have plenty to offer at the domestic level and I’m looking forward to suiting up for the Auckland Hearts again this season,” she said. “As an experienced member of the Hearts, I’m enjoying giving back to the younger players and watching them embark on their own cricketing journeys.”
Anna Peterson, a hard-hitting batter and off-spin bowler, had a top-score of 46 in WODIs and snared 27 wickets at 17.80. But it’s her bowling performance against Australia in a T20 match in 2017 that stands out. Anna Peterson took the first T20 international hat-trick by a Kiwi woman with the first three balls of her spell in Geelong, swinging the match in the White Ferns’ favour.
Anna Peterson Became The First Kiwi Women Cricketer To Pick Up A T20I Hat-trick
Anna Peterson made her debut almost a decade ago in an ODI against England and made an immediate impact scoring 33 down the order. Her final appearance for the national side came in the T20 World Cup last year against eventual champions Australia. The 31-year-old’s most memorable performance came in 2017 when she became the first New Zealand women’s cricketer to pick up a hat-trick in T20Is.
“On her day, Anna can hit the ball as far as anyone,” Head Coach Bob Carter said. “She is a great team player and the younger Hearts players are lucky to have someone of her caliber around their environment helping the next generation grow as cricketers and people.”
New Zealand Women’s all-rounder Anna Peterson has retired from international cricket, having spent nearly a decade at the highest level. She made her debut for the White Ferns way back in March 2012 against Pakistan in Lincoln. From there on, she played 32 ODIs where she scored 279 runs with a top score of 46 and picked up 27 wickets with two four-wicket hauls.
But her ODI career came to a halt in February 2019. The 31-year-old also plied her trade in 33 T20Is, scoring 92 runs and picking up 18 wickets at an economy rate of 6.88. The Auckland-born veteran last donned the national colours during New Zealand’s match against Meg Lanning’s Australia in the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup. After calling it a day, Anna Peterson sounded grateful.