Nelson shooter Natalie Wicken had the memorable experience of being one of a select few from the South Island chosen to play for the Silver Ferns in the Auckland Test, the last of the 1948 series.

Three different Silver Ferns teams were selected for the 1948 three-Test Series against Australia, mainly on a regional basis for costs reasons, Wicken getting the nod for Auckland after not featuring in the Dunedin or New Plymouth Tests.

The baby of the team in Auckland when making her debut at just 17 years of age, she could play both shooting positions and as was common for shooters of the era, was of a slight build, standing at just 1.63m.