A structural engineer outside the playing field, Morna Nielsen made her international debut barely four months after taking up the art of spin bowling, against Australia in February 2010. Having started off with Northern Districts in 2007 as a medium-pacer, she switched to spin at the start of the 2009-10 season, and quickly left an impression on the selectors.

She spent two years on the sidelines from 2012, before being recalled for the Rose Bowl series against Australia in January 2012, when she made her T20I debut. A phenomenal spell of 4 for 10 against England in February that year marked her coming of age. . She was riddled by a number of injuries over the next two seasons - tearing ligaments in her ankle when she tripped on the boundary rope during a match and dislocating her left index finger during a training season with the New Zealand U-19 boys. However, she did remarkably well on her return to reach a career-high of No. 2 in the ICC T20I bowling rankings in 2014.

She picked up her first five-for against Sri Lanka in a series whitewash in 2015-16. A steady Women's Big Bash League season for Melbourne Stars - she picked up 18 wickets in 10 matches at 11.00 - further heightened expectations. At the 2016 Women's World T20 in India, she finished with figures of 4-0-4-0 in a group game against Australia, a record for the best economy in women's T20 cricket.

The 2015/16 season also brought success, with her first five-for in international cricket coming against Sri Lanka at Lincoln as she took 5-21 in their series whitewash. She had a good WBBL for Melbourne Stars, with 18 wickets at an average of 11.00 in only 10 matches. In New Zealand's group game against Australia at Nagpur during the 2016 World Twenty20, her return of 4-0-4-0 broke the record for the most economical ever performance in women's T20 cricket.
Raf Nicholson