International career
Breearne Grace Illing was born on 29 September 2003 in New Zealand. She plays as a left-handed batter and a left-arm medium-fast bowler. Her rise to the senior team came in early 2025, when she made her ODI and T20I debuts at the age of 21. She moved into the squad after strong seasons for Auckland and New Zealand A.
2025
- Made her WODI debut on 4 March 2025 in Napier against Sri Lanka and received ODI cap 149. Took two wickets in her first match with figures of 10 overs for 42 runs.
- Took two more wickets in the second ODI on 7 March in Nelson. Finished the three-match ODI series with four wickets across three games.
- Entered T20I cricket on 14 March 2025 in Christchurch. Bowled three overs for 31 runs on debut.
- Recorded her best T20I figures of 2 for 18 in the second match of the series on 16 March in Christchurch.
- Appeared in the New Zealand A tour of England in mid 2025 and finished as the leading wicket taker in the 50-over series, including a personal best of 4 for 64.
- Received her first New Zealand Cricket central contract in June 2025 after consistent early-season results.
- Selected for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 and played group stage matches against Australia, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Took two wickets against Australia on 1 October in Indore and another two against Sri Lanka on 14 October in Colombo.
- Reached 50 List A wickets during the World Cup fixture against Sri Lanka.
- Ended 2025 with six ODI appearances and three T20I appearances, with best ODI figures of 2 for 42 and best T20I figures of 2 for 18. Her role settled around new ball spells where her left arm angle supported New Zealand’s attack.
Leagues Participation
Bree Illing has not taken part in franchise leagues such as the Women’s Big Bash League or any overseas T20 competitions.
Domestic career
Bree Illing developed inside Auckland’s pathway and stayed in that system from her earliest seasons. She started at Cornwall Cricket Club, where she trained from a young age and entered senior women’s cricket before turning thirteen. Her left-arm swing and straight attacking lines took shape there, and the club environment fed directly into her move toward professional cricket.
Auckland Hearts became her main team once she stepped into the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield. She made her List A debut on 12 February 2022 against Canterbury and continued as a full-season squad member from 2021/22 onward. Her T20 debut arrived on 19 December 2023 in the Super Smash, also for Auckland, and she has not played for any other domestic side.
Her 2023/24 campaign pushed her into national attention. Late in November 2023, she delivered a decisive HBJ Shield spell against Central Hinds, where she removed three batters in one over, all lbw. The performance was highlighted by NZC and used as an example of her ability to swing the ball early and target the stumps without giving width. In April 2024, she received the Auckland Cricket “Young Cricketer of the Year” award, a sign that her development across both formats had reached a new level.
During the 2024/25 season, she moved from a promising option to a primary seamer for Auckland. On 30 November 2024, she produced her best List A figures: 4 for 39 in the HBJ Shield. She ended that season as Auckland’s leading wicket-taker with an average of around 21, noticeably lower than her career average at the time. Those numbers, verified across HBJ Shield statistics and NZC match summaries, became a significant factor behind her New Zealand A selection and her first central contract.
By mid-2025, her domestic record stood at 46 wickets in women’s List A cricket with an average of 26.02 and best figures of 4 for 39, along with 18 wickets in women’s T20s at an average of 32.22 and best figures of 2 for 12. Her strong 2024/25 output, especially with the new ball, set the base for her rapid rise into the White Ferns setup.
Records and achievements
Bree Illing’s record shows steady progress across domestic and international cricket, with clear statistical milestones marking each stage of her rise.
- ODI debut: March 4, 2025, vs Sri Lanka in Napier, ODI cap 149
- T20I debut: March 14, 2025, vs Sri Lanka in Christchurch, T20I cap 68
- First NZC central contract: Awarded for the 2025–26 season
- Best ODI figures (2025): 2 for 42 vs Sri Lanka (March 2025)
- Best T20I figures (2025): 2 for 18 vs Sri Lanka (March 16, 2025)
- Best domestic List A figures: 4 for 39 in HBJ Shield, Auckland Hearts (30 November 2024)
- Best domestic T20 figures: 2 for 12 in Super Smash (Auckland Hearts)
- Top wicket-taker for Auckland Hearts in the 2024/25 HBJ Shield, average near 21
- Milestone: Reached 50 women’s List A wickets on October 14, 2025, vs Sri Lanka in Colombo
- Young Cricketer of the Year at the Auckland Cricket Awards (2024)
- Domestic highlight: Took three lbw wickets in one over vs Central Hinds (November 2023)
- Leading wicket-taker for New Zealand A on the 2025 England tour, best 4 for 64
- Selected for New Zealand’s squad at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025
- Notable World Cup match: Took two wickets vs Australia on October 1, 2025, in Indore, including Alyssa Healy
- Completed a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Biology at the University of Auckland in 2025
- Consistently cited by NZC and ESPN analysts as one of New Zealand’s most promising young left-arm seamers.
Personal life
Bree Illing’s public profile focuses almost entirely on her cricket career.
Finance
Illing holds a New Zealand Cricket central contract for the 2025:26 season. NZC confirms the contract, and she receives match fees under the equal-pay system introduced in 2022. Public data indicates that top women’s contracts in New Zealand can reach about NZD 160,000 per year with match payments and bonuses. Domestic retainers before a central contract are near NZD 19,000.
Family
Newsroom reported that Illing studied at the University of Auckland and worked for a short period as a media archivist at Mainfreight alongside her father.
Scandals
There are no scandals or disciplinary issues involving Illing.
Fans
Her Instagram account (@breezy_illing) shows about 1.6 thousand followers as of late 2025. The account features match photos, training sessions, and university posts.
