Ten years ago this month an Otago youngster named Suzie Bates made her debut for New Zealand, buried down the order in a team captained by Haidee Tiffen. She claimed India’s wicketkeeper as her maiden ODI wicket, the first of a career haul that now stands at 72, alongside 3,492 runs.
Just a few more wickets in her latest match — the surface and outfield at Bay Oval last weekend was a batsman’s paradise — and we might have got to laud Bates as the first WHITE FERNS captain this millennium to lift the Rose Bowl. And while it didn’t pan out, Australia coming back from 0-1 down to win 2-1, the evidence was clear that these are exciting times for WHITE FERNS cricket.
Ironically the most satisfying factor for allrounder Bates — the ICC’s player of the year in both the ODI and T20 formats last year, the first time anyone has won both crowns — will be that she’s no longer doing it all herself. Amy Satterthwaite was the Rose Bowl’s leading runscorer for New Zealand with 198 at an average of 99.00. Then there was Katey Martin with 163 at 54.33.
In the bowling, breakthrough pace bowler Holly Huddleston (seven wicket at 18.57) and Amelia Kerr and Lea Tahuhu (four wickets each) were the leading wicket-taking weapons while Bates could look to contain from first change and do the hard yards at the death.
Leading wicket-taker Holly Huddleston. PHOTOSPORT
While it was frustrating to watch Australia nip off with the Rose Bowl yet again — Meg Lanning having prospered in the Bay Oval sunshine for her third Rose Bowl century at the ground in two years, and the fielding not at its usual sharp level — it’s worth remembering the WHITE FERNS had pushed them into a corner even without the influential services of Sophie Devine and Leigh Kasperek to call upon.
That pair is expected to be back well in time for June’s World Cup and coach Haidee Tiffen is already excited.
Leading runscorer and four ODI hundreds in a row: Amy Satterthwaite
“Full credit to Australia, they’re a classy side and they showed that bouncing back from 0-1 down again in the Rose Bowl,” says Tiffen, “but we were in a good position to get to 300 ourselves, and we fully believed we could have taken that Series.
"The key moment of the Series decider for me was the outstanding catch from Meg Lanning that dismissed Katey Martin. It was a piece of brilliance that cost us perhaps those extra 20 runs at the death after losing our last top order batter, and sometime those pieces of brilliance are enough to swing the momentum.”
The WHITE FERNS searched hard for their own P.O.B.s in reply, the closest being when Holly Huddleston racked wicket maiden after wicket maiden in her haul of 3-44 — notably bowling superstar Ellyse Perry on just one run.
“Holly was outstanding throughout not only the ODIs but our T20 International Series win over Australia as well,” says Tiffen. “She’s gone from strength to strength and really grown as a cricketer. She understands what her strength is now, she understands what her role is in the team and it’s a real asset for Suzie to be able to throw her the ball with that confidence that Holly can change a game in our favour.”
Huddleston formed an exciting combination with outright pace weapon Lea Tahuhu, whose muscle and composure with the new ball was evident after a full and consistent season with the WHITE FERNS, Canterbury Magicians and Melbourne Renegades.
Lea Tahuhu was top of her game. PHOTOSPORT
Tahuhu regularly fires the ball in at speeds above 120kph, deemed fast relative to the women’s game. Australia’s Cathryn Fitzpatrick was renowned for pushing the ball through at 125kph, considered to be the fastest in the women’s game until her 1997 retirement.
While a dose of extra pace is always a useful shock weapon, it’s nothing without control and that’s where Tiffen is relishing the luxurious prospect of a Tahuhu-Huddleston-Bates-Devine quartet heading into the World Cup.
The depth is lining up ahead of the World Cup
The wider squad will regroup in April for a training camp after which the World Cup team will be named. They will then meet up on 10 June for a pre-tournament camp in Hampshire, England, where the like of Bates and Huddleston will already have warmed up with some County appearances.
World Cup schedule
“It’s been a busy season and it’s important our players have a good break for a couple of weeks, but it won’t be long until our final phase leading up the World Cup is underway. The World Cup is sneaking up really quickly.
“I’m really confident about our chances. Measuring ourselves against [World Champions] Australia in this most recent Rose Bow Series, we’ve proven that we are close. We’ll iron out a few things that we need to, it’s been a wonderful series for us to learn and grow and we are certainly on track.”
