When it comes to the hard talk of run aggregates in the ICC Women’s World Championship over the past three years, only two sides — the WHITE FERNS and Australia — have three players in the world’s top eight.
Exactly as it should be for a quality top order. Suzie Bates lies second only to Aussie megastar Meg Lanning (the Aussie skip has exactly 1000 runs at 66.66) and made quick gains on her during the series in Africa. The WHITE FERNS leader now has 838 IWC runs at a rock star 52.37 average, followed by opener Rachel Priest — 654 runs at 40.87, and Amy Satterthwaite’s 525 runs at 37.50.
The top order’s job is to lay the foundation of a solid win, and there was never a better example of that than the WHITE FERNS’ stunning nine-wicket comeback against the Proteas Women this past week.
The emphatic performance in the decider for the IWC series-within-the-series (claimed 2-1 by the WHITE FERNS) produced a New Zealand record second-wicket stand against South Africa: an unbeaten 174 in 28.4 overs.
Although neither Bates (82*) nor Satterthwaite (89*) got a chance personally to convert into three figures, they could sit back in the sheds reflecting on a job well done — and that’s something of an understatement given it was the fourth highest unbroken partnership by any women in New Zealand ODI history.
Calm and experienced, first drop Satterthwaite has become a dependable rock of the side in the last two years and currently has the edge as leading runmaker from either team in the current series. With 155 runs at 77.50, “Branch” is just a shade ahead of Bates, who has 152 at 76.00, the Kiwis followed by South African captain Dané van Niekerk who has held her side together with 136 at 68.00 in the middle order.
Irregular rain in the opening match notwithstanding, the baking-hot conditions at least favour good strokeplay — so we asked Satterthwaite how did the New Zealand team react to being edged in the second game that gave South Africa a historic win?
AMY SATTERTHWAITE: “Yes, we were pretty disappointed as a team on reflection after that second ODI as to how we had played in all three facets of the game. We knew that we could play a lot better — and at this level, against good opposition, we have to put those better performances on the park.
“We had a good chat about it. Personally I reflected on not kicking on with the bat [she made 47], after having got a good start. I’ve been feeling pretty good in the middle: from a skill-set point of view, I had been pretty happy. It was just the mental application I needed to practise, once I get into it after the start of my innings. Once you’ve been in for a wee while, sometimes you can relax a little bit. That was the biggest area I wanted to look at.
“So then, from a personal point of view, I was pleased to kick on and help get us over the line in the latest win.”
What did coach Haidee Tiffen ask of the team in order to turn it around?
AS: “Because we had been a little disappointing by our own standards, and in all three facets, we really identified it as probably more of an attitude thing than a situation where we we needed to go out and have a three-hour training. We felt we had had the right plans with the ball — we just didn’t go out and execute.
“And then, in the field itself, we were a little bit sloppy. So it was a mindset adjustment, and we saw that difference in the field in the third game. The way the girls responded, the way people went out and threw themselves around — there were some fantastic dive-stops and some good execution with catching. I think we really upped it in that area.
“With the bat, it was all about the partnerships — something we have talked about all the way through the series. We had some starts, but we needed to ensure we kicked on to bigger partnerships.”
What did you and Suzie Bates talk about during the course of your unbeaten stand?
AS: “We were keeping ourselves in check. At times during a partnership, it can ebb and flow. One person can be scoring freely while the other can be struggling a wee bit, and then vice versa. Bowlers can bowl well in patches, and South Africa brought back their best bowlers at certain points so we knew that we just had to stick through that.
“We managed to keep the scoring rate going at low risk through those times, which worked to our favour. We knew there were going to be tough moments. But we just keep talking to each other, reminding ourselves that we need to try to stay together to the end, and we use little targets as well to assist with focus.”
How hot did it feel out there on Diamond Oval?
AS: “It was pretty warm out there, and Suzie got a bit of cramp out there. It had been even hotter in the second ODI actually, but this last game was still very hot, testing conditions. It takes its toll with mental fatigue, so you have to be aware of managing that concentration. We managed to pull through it.”
With the three ICC Women’s Championship games done and dusted now and four really valuable points in the bag, what’s the focus for the rest of the overall series — knowing the South African side has the ability to take the game to you, as we did see in that second ODI?
AS: “Yeah, those IWC points were extremely valuable and a big focus for us. We wanted to control our own destiny on the table where we need a top-four finish for World Cup direct entry.
“We’re now up into third, and we know that if can keep winning in the next series against Pakistan then it will be mission accomplished. But right now, we have a tour to finish here with four more ODIs. That is now our main focus, and we need to take these games one and a time.
“South Africa will be hurting, and that will motivate them to come back strong in the next game.
Also, typically in the past we haven’t always finished a series very well, so that is a big focus for us. We want to win every game from here and we’re looking forward to trying to achieve that.”
NEXT GAME: WHITE FERNS v SOUTH AFRICA 4th ODI, Boland Park, Paarl on Monday, 17 October 2016 at 9pm NZ Time
