New Delhi, February 19 – New Zealand cricketer Lauren Down has announced her retirement from the sport at the age of 30, bringing an end to her 15-year career. She played 35 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 13 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for the White Ferns since her international debut in 2018.
Down made her debut for her hometown team, Hearts, in a T20 against Canterbury at Melville Park in Auckland in 2011, and went on to represent Auckland 202 times (101 in List A and 101 in T20).
“I have cherished my time as part of the White Ferns, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have represented my country. I will miss being around the team, but I am now looking forward to watching from the sidelines and seeing what this group can achieve," Down said.
“A significant part of my cricket career was with the Auckland team, and I want to thank Auckland Cricket, my coaches, and my teammates for their support," Down was quoted as saying by New Zealand Cricket.
Down was also the third-highest run-scorer for Hearts in all-time List A cricket, and she also holds the third-highest T20 run-scoring record for Hearts (1,496 runs) and the fourth-highest List A run-scoring record (2,690 runs). She also contributed 41 wickets during her early days as an all-rounder.
She was part of five successful Hallyburton Johnstone Shield campaigns, helping Hearts win the women's 50-over title in 2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, and most recently, 2019-20, where she scored 90 in the Grand Final to help defeat Northern Districts by 67 runs at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
Her strong performance for Hearts during the 2017-18 season earned her an international debut in a one-run ODI win against the West Indies in Lincoln in March 2018.
A thumb injury prevented Down from participating in the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham later that year. However, she returned to the squad for the tour of the West Indies in September 2022 and was selected for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa.
Down opted out of a New Zealand women's central contract for the 2023-24 season to welcome her first child, before returning for the 2024-25 season and featuring in the tours of England and India. She represented New Zealand for the final time in the third ODI against Australia at the Cello Basin Reserve last summer.
Down was also recognized as one of the best fielders in the country, often patrolling the cover and point regions. Alongside her achievements for Auckland and the White Ferns, Down also played for the Perth Scorchers in the Women's Big Bash League and had stints with Oxfordshire in the UK.
New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer thanked Down for her contributions, saying, “Lauren has been a fantastic team player and has always given her all in the WHITE FERNS environment. It is a testament to her dedication and commitment to her game that she was able to go away to welcome her first child and then return to the level of international cricket so quickly.
"Lauren has been a valued member of the White Ferns and has always demonstrated the values of our team both inside and outside the environment. I want to thank Lauren for the contributions she has made to both the WHITE FERNS and Auckland Cricket and wish her and her family all the very best for the future."
