WHITE FERN Amy Satterthwaite is just enjoying being a part of the ride.
The 29-year-old allrounder has played over 150 matches for New Zealand and been on the international scene for nine years, but it’s been in the last 24 months where she has seen women’s cricket evolve the most.
The introduction of WHITE FERNS contracts, the ICC Women’s Championship and the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia has seen the game’s profile reach new heights.
The next step in the evolution begins this week with the inaugural Twenty20 Super League kicking off. The best of the best from around the globe will gather for the six side competition, including six WHITE FERNS.
Satterthwaite has been witness to the change taking place in the women’s game and is understandably optimistic about the current trajectory.
“With the introduction of the IWC at international level and then the WBBL and KIA Super League,
the landscape of women's cricket is changing at a rapid pace,” Satterthwaite said.
“As we saw in the WBBL, bringing the best players from around the world together creates a very competitive competition. It‘s entertaining for fans and helps bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket.
“It also makes cricket as a career a really viable option and its awesome to be able to show future cricketers what they could aspire to be a part of.”
Satterthwaite will play for the Thunder.
1. First off, how are the excitement levels to be involved in the inaugural KIA Super League?
It is certainly very exciting to be involved in the inaugural KIA Super League. We saw how successful the WBBL was last year and it was great to have 6 kiwis involved in that competition. To have 6 NZ players involved in the KIA Super League again is great for the White Ferns and the experience they will gain. There is certainly a lot of hype around the new competition here and it is exciting to see how the public and media get in behind the tournament over the next few weeks.
2. Now named the captain of Lancashire as well, bit of a surprise?
It certainly was a bit of a surprise but a very exciting opportunity as well. It's always an honour to captain any side and getting the opportunity to captain in a new competition and a new team with players from around the world will be a fantastic learning experience for me.
3. How would you describe the quality of your team and the rest of the players in the competition?
As we saw in the WBBL, bringing the best players from around the world together creates a very competitive competition and helps bridge the gap between domestic and international. We had our first warm up game recently and it was a great opportunity for me to get to know the team and how everyone plays. We have an exciting young team and the beauty of these competitions is the quality of the sides are quite even and anyone can win on their day. It’s a short competition so we will have to hit the ground running but we're looking forward to the challenge.
4. Someone who has been around for a while, do you see the competition as another step in the right direction for women’s cricket?
Definitely. The landscape of women's cricket is changing at a rapid pace with the introduction of the IWC at international level and then with the introduction of the WBBL and KIA Super League. It makes cricket as a career a really viable option and its awesome to be able to show future cricketers what they could aspire to be a part of!
5. And lastly still have an eye on upcoming series against SA in September?
The introduction of the IWC over the last couple of years has really added to every international series. It’s meant there is a lot more riding on each game when you pull on the NZ shirt which is great for us and the game. Our tour to SA in September is a really important one in terms of where we stand in the IWC table looking to maintain a top 4 position and automatic qualification for next year’s 50 over World Cup. SA have improved a lot as a side and will be extremely hard to beat in their home conditions. I know the girls have been working extremely hard back home and it’s great to have 6 players over here playing cricket and getting game time leading into that series. You can't substitute game time and this tournament will be invaluable in that respect leading into the SA series.
