The New Zealand WHITE FERNS can’t wait to step back out in their magenta T20 colours this Sunday at the Basin Reserve.
WHITE FERNS captain Suzie Bates sats that with Australia having taken the a closely contested Rose Bowl ODI Series 2-1, the upcoming three Twenty20 Internationals represent a swift chance for the WHITE FERNS to reverse over the world number ones — and make a statement ahead of the forthcoming ICC Women’s World T20 in India.
Both teams head to India at the conclusion of the series in New Zealand, India being the fifth edition of the world short form tournament and one in which the men's and women's Cups will be contested concurrently.
As one of the top Twenty20 International sides in the world, the WHITE FERNS earned direct entry to the tournament, where they will be in the same pool as Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Ireland.
So, having already whitewashed Sri Lanka in both Twenty20s and ODIs earlier this season, complete with their highest ever team total in T20 International cricket, the upcoming T20s against Australia, the defending world champions, carry plenty of weight as the countdown ticks down.
The T20 series opens at the Basin Reserve this Sunday as the first half of the WHITE FERNS / Island of Origin doubleheader, both games televised LIVE on SKY Sport.
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The WHITE FERNS and Australia then return to the Basin on Tuesday 1 March (free entry, 4pm) for the second T20i, before decamping to pretty Pukekura Park for the tour finale, 4pm on Friday 4 March (free entry).
Two games at the Basin plays into the hands of power hitters Sophie Devine and Rachel Priest, local members of the Wellington Blaze.
Devine will be a key target for the Australians after her world class exploits in T20 cricket over the past year — including the world’s fastest 50, scored in the difficult conditions of India mid-last year, and blitzed off just 18 balls.
Priest is tied in second spot on the world stage with a 22-ball T20 fifty scored in the same series.
Batting for the Blaze in the Women’s T20 domestic competition this summer, Devine also thundered her maiden T20 century at the Basin Reserve, including hitting the Monument with one of her sixes.
CAREER TWENTY20 STATISTICS
Statistics current to start of the Series
WHITE FERNS
BATTING & FIELDING
M I NO RUNS HS Ave SR 100 50 Balls
Suzie Bates 75 73 3 1803 94* 25.75 106 - 10 1693
Erin Bermingham 22 12 3 49 20 5.44 70 - - 70
Sophie Devine 53 50 7 1033 70 24.02 112 - 3 917
Leigh Kasperek 5 4 1 33 15 11.00 75 - - 44
Felicity Leydon-Davis 7 -
Katey Martin 39 26 4 176 29 8.00 80 - - 218
Sara McGlashan 68 65 7 1018 84 17.55 98 - 2 1033
Thamsyn Newton 3 -
Morna Nielsen 36 12 7 60 21* 12.00 72 - - 83
Katie Perkins 34 29 12 340 34 20.00 98 - - 344
Anna Peterson 5 2 1 6 4* 6.00 54 - - 11
Rachel Priest 56 45 12 578 60 17.51 109 - 1 527
Hannah Rowe 4 1 1 2 2* - 66 - - 3
Amy Satterthwaite 63 56 9 857 45 18.23 87 - - 979
Lea Tahuhu 18 4 0 7 3 1.75 35 - - 20
BOWLING
Balls Runs Wkts Ave Best RPO
Suzie Bates 807 893 41 21.78 4-26 6.63
Erin Bermingham 462 397 25 15.88 2-12 5.15
Sophie Devine 810 785 47 16.70 3-9 5.81
Leigh Kasperek 120 80 9 8.88 3-7 4.00
Felicity Leydon-Davis 108 99 4 24.75 2-15 5.50
Katey Martin -
Sara McGlashan -
Thamsyn Newton 48 25 3 8.33 3-9 3.12
Morna Nielsen 781 648 36 18.00 4-10 5.10
Katie Perkins -
Anna Peterson 36 40 1 40.00 1-10 6.66
Rachel Priest -
Hannah Rowe 48 50 2 25.00 1-10 6.25
Amy Satterthwaite 295 341 17 20.05 6-17 6.93
Lea Tahuhu 321 298 18 16.55 3-28 5.57
AUSTRALIA
BATTING & FIELDING
M I NO RUNS HS Ave SR 100 50 Balls
Kristen Beams 6 -
Alex Blackwell 82 70 15 1156 61 21.01 94 - 1 1227
Lauren Cheatle 2 1 1 4 4* - 50 - - 8
Sarah Coyte 45 19 10 107 17* 11.88 95 - - 112
Rene Farrell 46 14 6 95 31* 11.87 131 - - 72
Holly Ferling 9 1 0 0 0 0.00 0 - - 1
Grace Harris 9 9 2 108 39* 15.42 161 - - 67
Alyssa Healy 59 47 12 705 90 20.14 112 - 2 626
Jess Jonassen 37 21 4 286 47 16.82 94 - - 302
Meg Lanning 58 57 6 1604 126 31.45 118 1 6 1354
Beth Mooney 3 3 0 80 36 26.66 96 - - 83
Erin Osborne 52 15 8 61 15* 8.71 108 - - 56
Ellyse Perry 72 38 14 573 55* 23.87 104 - 2 549
Megan Schutt 14 1 0 2 2 2.00 50 - - 4
Elyse Villani 29 29 4 737 90* 29.48 113 - 6 648
BOWLING
Balls Runs Wkts Ave Best RPO
Kristen Beams 120 98 7 14.00 3-16 4.90
Alex Blackwell 6 14 0 - - 14.00
Lauren Cheatle 24 25 0 - - 6.25
Sarah Coyte 941 955 46 20.76 4-5 6.08
Rene Farrell 954 970 49 19.79 4-15 6.10
Holly Ferling 162 142 5 28.40 2-14 5.25
Grace Harris 114 116 4 29.00 2-15 6.10
Alyssa Healy -
Jess Jonassen 649 579 31 18.67 3-25 5.35
Meg Lanning 24 22 2 11.00 1-11 5.50
Beth Mooney -
Erin Osborne 1038 1007 44 22.88 4-19 5.82
Ellyse Perry 1394 1349 71 19.00 4-12 5.80
Megan Schutt 244 262 11 23.81 2-18 6.44
Elyse Villani -
