Sooner or later, Otago will need to discover the next Suzie Bates or Katey Martin.
That duo have held the Sparks together for more than a decade and, hopefully, will do for more years to come. But everyone stops playing eventually and coach Warren Lees wants to make sure his side is prepared for when they do pull stumps.
''That is something that I've been really conscious of for the past two years,'' Lees said.
It is a delicate balance, though. The team does not want to sacrifice performance for the sake of development and Lees has named an experienced line-up for the Sparks' opening matches against Central Districts next weekend.
Most of the names are familiar with the exception of Shebani Bhaskar and Beth Langston.
Bhaskar is a wicketkeeper-batsman who moved out to Dunedin in September to press for a spot. The 21-year-old lives in India but is a citizen of the United States and can play as a local in New Zealand's domestic competition.
She has spent the past month training in Sydney and preparing for the season.
Langston is on the fringe of the England team. The 24-year-old right-arm medium pacer has played two ODIs and two twenty20 internationals.
''She's wanting to come out here and gain as much experience as she possibly can and make the most of her opportunities,'' Lees said.
Langston arrives in the country this weekend and will train with Otago-based players on Monday and Wednesday night.
White Ferns spinner Leigh Kasperek, who has been sidelined with a broken finger, has been cleared to play. She will join fellow White Fern spinner Morna Nielsen in the team.
The pair combined for 21 wickets in the one-day competition last season and, along with Bates, form the spine of Otago's attack.
Bates, Martin and Kasperek did the bulk of the scoring and will probably be in the runs again this season.
But with Bates and Nielsen skipping two rounds to ply their trade in the Australian domestic twenty20 competition, someone else will have to step up.
Lees is hopeful younger players such as Bella James, Ella Brown, Georgia Heffernan and Kate Heffernan, who have missed selection but are part of the squad of 16, will deliver on some of their potential when they get opportunities.
''Whoever comes out of the under-21 tournament ... played in Auckland just before Christmas would then still have three rounds of cricket that they could be selected for.
''Someone will come out of that tournament. Someone always succeeds at that level and it could be enough to perhaps travel with the team, train with the team and sit in the dressing room beside the likes of Katey Martin and get some experience.''
Lees, who felt his side underperformed last summer, is hopeful the Sparks will make one of the two finals this season.
The big challenge will be getting some consistency into their game in what is a stop-start season. The team's members are far-flung as well, with just a handful of regular starters based in Dunedin.
