Two uncapped players in New Zealand Women's squad

Sophie Devine and Ros Kember are the two new faces in the New Zealand women's squad for the tour of Australia starting next month. The tour consists of five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match and all matches will be held at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

Devine, a right-hand middle-order batsman and medium pacer, has played 20 league games for State Wellington Blaze. Kember, who represented New Zealand A in 2005-06, has played 46 matches for the State Auckland Hearts and scored 919 runs at an average of 22.14. They will replace Emily Drumm, who is over in the UK due to work commitments and Suzie Bates, who sustained an ankle injury.

"We believe she [Drumm] has still got three, four or five years of cricket in her and we expect to see her back," Steve Jenkin, the New Zealand coach, said in a media release. "We've now got to try other players and it means we'll have more players prepared for the next World Cup. We're very disappointed not to have Suzie Bates through injury but we're looking forward to having the two new players with us. It's good to get them into the international game and to look at some players who could certainly be around by the time of the next World Cup."

Jenkins added that the players were looking forward to the challenge of playing against world champions Australia, who won the World Cup in 2005. "It's going to be fun. There's a few players who I have coached for 13 or 14 years. They're the world's best team, so it's going to be a big challenge and we'll do our best."

The squad leaves for Australia on October 12.

Squad Haidee Tiffen (capt), Nicola Browne, Sarah Burke, Sophie Devine, Anna Dodd, Maria Fahey, Ros Kember, Sara McGlashan, Aimee Mason, Louise Milliken, Rebecca Rolls, Sarah Tsukigawa, Helen Watson