Aimee Watkins (nee Mason) ranks as one of Taranaki’s greatest cricketers.

A genuine all-rounder and respected leader, she played 141 international matches, captained on the world stage, and helped set new standards in the women’s game. The contributions of the aggressive left-hand batter and accurate right arm spin bowler, both on and off the field, are significant, now spanning over 30 years. She was inducted into the Taranaki Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.

Aimee made her senior debut for Taranaki as a 13-year-old New Plymouth Girls’ High School (NPGHS) student. She joined the Central Hinds in the 1998-1999 season, starting a provincial career that would span nearly two decades. She was part of the NPGHS team that won the Yoplait Cup for the national secondary school champions in 2000.

Reflecting on her career Aimee says the supportive influence of NPGHS coach Eddie Brown was an important early factor in her career, exposing her to national competitions and giving her a taste for competitive women’s cricket.

“As a youngster [in Taranaki] I played boys cricket, there wasn’t really such a thing as women’s cricket or girl’s cricket.”

Having a supportive family who encouraged her in a range of sports was also important.

“You were just outside and you were kicking and throwing and hitting all the time right from the start.”

She made her international debut for the White Ferns in 2002 and played 103 One-Day Internationals, 36 Twenty20 Internationals, and two Test matches. She scored two ODI centuries, with a top score of 111, and took 92 wickets. At the 2009 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, she was New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker as the team reached the final. That same year, she and Suzie Bates shared a then-world record 118* second-wicket stand in T20 cricket. Aimee was appointed captain ahead of the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup. She took her batting to new heights during the tournament, where she hit an unbeaten 89 off 58 deliveries in the semi-final win over India. She retained the captaincy until her international retirement in 2011, being hailed as a great ambassador on and off the field.

Within Taranaki, Aimee’s contributions to cricket beyond her playing career include coaching, managing, commentating and serving as a Taranaki Cricket Association board director. She continues to assist the Bartercard Taranaki women’s cricket team and the newly-formed Woodleigh premier women’s team.

Aimee was the overall winner of the Taranaki Sports Awards in 2003. She is a life member of the Taranaki Cricket Association and the Woodleigh Cricket Club. She is also an honorary member of New Zealand Cricket and has Honorary Life Membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club and its famous ground, Lord’s.

Aimee says she built many lifelong friendships during her career and treasured all the little moments she had as part of teams along the way together with a variety of lanmark tours and matches. Things like World cup finals, tours to the West Indies, South Aftica, India, those are all things that you know, we’ll remember forever,” she says.

Taranaki Cricket now awards the Aimee Watkins Cup to the most outstanding Year 7 and 8 girl in the Taranaki Primary School tournament.

Article added: Monday 08 December 2025