New Zealand will be without seamer Hayley Jensen for the ODI series against Sri Lanka after she suffered an injury during the warm-up for the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final. Head coach Ben Sawyer confirmed on Monday that left-arm spinner Fran Jonas will replace her.
“Jensen will be reassessed before the T20I series,” Sawyer said. “Hopefully, she can recover in time, but it will depend on the physios. Jonas will fly in tonight and join the team in the morning.”
Jensen was set to return to the national side after two years but got ruled out of the series. She became the second Otago player to miss out, as Bella James also suffered a hamstring injury during the domestic competition. New Zealand replaced James with Lauren Down in the squad.
New Zealand are already missing key players. Captain Sophie Devine has taken a break for her well-being, while Amelia Kerr is unavailable due to her Women’s Premier League (WPL) commitments with Mumbai Indians. Injuries have also sidelined Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair, and Molly Penfold. In Devine’s absence, Suzie Bates will lead the team.
The three-match ODI series begins on March 4 in Napier, followed by games in Nelson on March 7 and 9. New Zealand are aiming to break a three-match losing streak in ODIs, while Sri Lanka are looking to bounce back after their 2-1 series defeat against Ireland in Belfast.
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