Overseas raids on Australia's women's cricket coaches have continued with assistant Ben Sawyer to take up the top job with New Zealand.
Sawyer was confirmed as New Zealand's new women's coach on Monday, after three years serving as Australia's bowling coach.
The news comes just weeks after Australia's former head coach Matthew Mott moved on, taking charge of England's men in white-ball cricket.
It leaves Shelley Nitschke as a near certainty to replace Mott on a full-time basis.
Nitschke was appointed as interim coach last month following Mott's exit, and players along with Mott himself had backed her or Sawyer to claim the full-time job.
She was also handed her new assistants on Monday, with Dan Marsh and Jude Coleman appointed ahead of a Tri-series in Ireland and the Commonwealth Games.
Meanwhile Sawyer's exit is a blow to Australian cricket.
He had been a long-time coach of the Sydney Sixers' WBBL team, and therefore had a close relationship with the likes of Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner.
Perry in particular had regularly leaned on Sawyer as her bowling coach at both domestic and international level.
"Ben has been a brilliant resource for the side's emerging and experienced fast-bowlers and the work he's done with this exceptionally talented group of players should be acknowledged," Cricket Australia's head of performance Ben Oliver said.
"He's highly respected and so it comes as no surprise that New Zealand have identified Ben as an asset to their program.
"We understand Ben accepting this opportunity and wish him and his family all the best."
