The Blaze appoint Craig Cumming as new head coach

Cumming has led Sparks to two trophies during his time in charge, capturing the 50-over Hallyburton Johnstone Shield in 2021/22 and 2023/24 despite the side finishing bottom of the table in the summer prior to his appointment.

The Dunedin-based side currently sit top of the table, having begun their title defence with four bonus-point victories from their opening four fixtures.

Cumming also led his charges to the final of the 2022 T20 Super Smash, while the likes of Eden Carson and former Notts batter Polly Inglis earned their first New Zealand call-ups under his tutelage, joining Suzie Bates and Hayley Jensen in representing Sparks at international level.

Last winter, he coached New Zealand A to 50-over success over England A, with the hosts winning the three-match series 2-1.

Cumming will join The Blaze following the conclusion of the Super Smash T20 tournament in the new year.

“I feel very humbled and privileged to be selected as Head Coach of The Blaze,” he said.

“I know some of the players and staff already, and have visited the team while in the UK over the last couple of years, so I know that everyone works to the highest standards. But most importantly, I know that I'm joining a brilliant group of people, both on and off the field.

“I can’t wait to be part of this wonderful team, and I'm ambitious to help deliver more of the success they have had in the past couple of seasons.”

Prior to commencing his coaching career, Cumming made 24 appearances for New Zealand in Test and ODI cricket.

The opener enjoyed over a decade with Otago as a player – captaining them for ten seasons and becoming their all-time leading First-Class run scorer.

He succeeds Chris Guest at The Blaze, with the Charlotte Edwards Cup-winning coach having departed at the end of the 2024 season to take up a role leading England Women U19s.

“Craig’s success as a coach speaks for itself,” said The Blaze’s Director of Cricket, James Cutt.

“In a relatively short period of time, Craig has had a significant impact at Otago, who have been a pre-eminent force in New Zealand women’s cricket in the past few years. I’m excited to see how we can evolve under his leadership.

“Guesty’s departure gave us an opportunity to look at how we could move forward from a position of strength, having put together such a strong record over the past two summers.

“We conducted an exhaustive, global search to find the best candidate, and - amongst some very strong applicants - Craig’s credentials and pedigree were the most compelling.

“There’s an exciting summer ahead for us, with an expanded fixture list and a squad with a blend of young talent and international experience, and I’m sure Craig’s fresh perspective will be a huge asset.”