Women's ODI World Cup | IND W vs NZ W 24th ODI in Navi Mumbai, Preview
The Women's World Cup match between India and New Zealand is set to kick off in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. India, after a narrow defeat to England, will be eager to keep their semi-final hopes alive with a win while New Zealand will look to build momentum after a rain-affected match against Sri Lanka.
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International career
Suzannah Wilson Bates, born on 16 September 1987 in Dunedin, is a New Zealand cricketer and former captain of the national women’s team. She represents the Otago Sparks in domestic cricket and plays for the White Ferns internationally. Bates holds both the highest score and the highest batting average in New Zealand Women’s T20 history. Her consistent performances have made her one of the most respected figures in world cricket. She was named ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2013 and won both the ICC Women’s ODI and T20I Cricketer of the Year awards in 2016.
- 2006: Suzie Bates made her international debut on 4 March 2006 against India at Lincoln in WODI No. 562.
- 2007: Played her first WT20I on 10 August against South Africa at Taunton, beginning her long career in the shorter format.
- 2009: At the Women’s World Cup in Australia, she scored 168 runs off 105 balls against Pakistan at Drummoyne Oval, one of her most superb innings, leading New Zealand to a 223-run victory.
- 2011–2018: Served as captain of the New Zealand women’s team, guiding it through global tournaments and bilateral series; earned the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award in 2013 after being named Player of the Tournament at the World Cup.
- 2018: Scored 151 against Ireland on 8 June as New Zealand set a world-record total of 491/4; hit her first WT20I century (124*) on 20 June at Taunton and became the world’s leading T20I run-scorer; played her 100th T20I on 28 June.
- 2022: Helped New Zealand win the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, contributing 20 runs in the third-place match against England.
- 2024: Featured in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, where New Zealand claimed their first-ever title, beating South Africa in the final.
- 2025: Reached the milestone of 350 international matches on 6 October during the Women’s ODI World Cup in India; by then, she had 173 WODIs (5,922 runs, 13 centuries) and 177 WT20Is (4,716 runs, one century), remaining the all-time top run-scorer in women’s T20Is and New Zealand’s record holder for most ODI runs and centuries.
Leagues Participation
Suzie Bates has been one of the most active and consistent New Zealand players in major franchise leagues around the world. She has featured in Australia’s WBBL, England’s The Hundred, and the Caribbean Premier League.
Women’s Big Bash League
Suzie Bates has played in the Women’s Big Bash League since its inaugural 2015–16 season. She first represented the Perth Scorchers before moving to Adelaide Strikers, where she achieved her first WBBL century in 2017. Over her WBBL career, she has played more than 100 matches, scored over 2,200 runs, and added one century along with more than twenty fifties.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2015–2017 | Perth Scorchers Women | Played first two WBBL seasons; key opener, averaged above 30. |
| 2017–2022 | Adelaide Strikers Women | Scored 102 off 65 balls vs Hobart Hurricanes (Dec 2017). Captained the side. |
| 2022–2024 | Sydney Sixers Women | Joined ahead of WBBL |
| 2024/25 | Hobart Hurricanes Women | Signed as a replacement player for late-season matches. |
Women’s Hundred
Suzie Bates joined The Hundred in 2022 with the Oval Invincibles and immediately became one of the league’s standout players. She finished that year as the team’s top run-scorer with 232 runs and helped the Invincibles retain their title. In 2023, she remained with the side before transferring to Birmingham Phoenix for the 2024 season, where she played in the early fixtures with a reduced role.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2022 | Oval Invincibles | Top scorer for the team (232 runs, HS 79*); won the championship. |
| 2023 | Oval Invincibles | Scored 135 runs in 7 matches; the team finished fifth. |
| 2024 | Birmingham Phoenix | Joined for the 2024 season; 3 appearances confirmed by scorecards. |
Women’s Caribbean Premier League
In 2023, Bates joined the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, playing for the Guyana Amazon Warriors. She featured in five matches, scored 123 runs at an average of 24.6, and regularly opened the innings with Shemaine Campbelle. Her consistent starts helped the team reach the final, where they lost to Trinbago Knight Riders. The 2023 season was her only WCPL appearance.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2023 | Guyana Amazon Warriors | Played five matches, scored 123 runs (HS 36), and helped the team reach the final. |
Domestic career
Suzie Bates started her domestic journey with Otago Sparks, debuting for the senior side at just fifteen. Her breakthrough came in the 2013/14 season when she led Otago to victory in New Zealand’s Women’s One-Day Championship, finishing as the top run-scorer with 679 runs in 11 innings at an average of 75.44. She also guided Otago to the Women’s Super Smash title in 2016/17, scoring 74 runs in the final against Canterbury, and again played a decisive role in Otago’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield win in 2021/22.
In Australia, Bates represented Western Australia in domestic competitions before the WBBL began. When the league launched, she joined Perth Scorchers for WBBL|01 and WBBL|02, captaining the side in her second season and reaching the final. She later moved to Adelaide Strikers, where she enjoyed her best WBBL season in 2017/18, scoring 434 runs, including 102 off 65 balls against Hobart Hurricanes. She then played for Sydney Sixers during WBBL|08–09 and joined Hobart Hurricanes for WBBL|10.
In England, she played for Kent (2016) and Hampshire (2017–2019), where she topped the run charts in the 2018 Women’s County Championship with 358 runs, helping Hampshire win the title. She also starred in the Kia Super League for Southern Vipers (2016–2019), contributing 52 runs in the 2016 final to secure the championship. Later, she joined Oval Invincibles in The Hundred (2022–2023), becoming their leading run-scorer in 2022 with 232 runs at 38.66, and moved to Birmingham Phoenix for the 2024 season. In 2025, she made history by signing with Durham Women as the club’s first overseas professional under the ECB’s new Tier-1 domestic structure.
Beyond these leagues, Bates appeared for Trailblazers in India’s Women’s T20 Challenge (2018–2019) and played for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 2023 Women’s Caribbean Premier League, scoring 123 runs in five matches.
Records and achievements
Suzie Bates is one of the most accomplished players in women’s cricket history. Her career spans nearly two decades, featuring world records, international awards, leadership honors, and domestic triumphs across multiple countries.
- The most capped New Zealand woman cricketer, with more than 350 international matches played.
- All-time leading run-scorer in Women’s T20 Internationals, first woman to pass 4,000 runs.
- One of only three players with over 10 WODI centuries and 3,000 WT20I runs.
- Won ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year (2013) and ICC ODI & T20I Cricketer of the Year (2015).
- Served as New Zealand captain (2011–2018), guiding the team through multiple global tournaments.
- Earned a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
- Recorded New Zealand’s highest T20I score – 124 vs South Africa (2018).
- Second-highest run-getter for New Zealand in Women’s ODI World Cups with over 1,300 runs.
- Fastest New Zealand woman to reach 3,000 ODI and 1,000 T20I runs.
- First woman to achieve 1,000+ WODI and 1,000+ WT20I runs in a single calendar year (2018).
- Holds multiple records with Otago Sparks – career run leader and captain in their title-winning seasons (2013/14, 2016/17, 2021/22).
- Kia Super League Champion 2016 with Southern Vipers, scoring 52 in the final.
- WBBL milestones: captained Perth Scorchers to their first final (2016/17), scored 102 (65) for Adelaide Strikers in 2017/18, and surpassed 100 matches with 2,200+ runs by 2024.
- The Hundred Champion 2022 with Oval Invincibles, top scorer for the side (232 runs @ 38.66).
- WCPL 2023: played for Guyana Amazon Warriors, scoring 123 runs in 5 matches.
- Represented Trailblazers in India’s Women’s T20 Challenge (2018–2019).
- Appointed Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2022 for her contribution to cricket.
- Signed by Durham Women in 2025, becoming the first overseas professional under the ECB’s Tier-1 structure.
- Named among PCA / ESPNcricinfo's “Top 10 Global Women’s Cricketers of the Decade” (2025).
- Dual-sport athlete: represented the New Zealand basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and holds a degree in Physical Education.
Personal life
Suzie Bates is known not only for her cricket career but also for her discipline and privacy off the field. Despite being one of New Zealand’s most recognized athletes, she maintains a balanced lifestyle and rarely shares details about her private life.
Finance
Under New Zealand Cricket’s equal-match-fees framework introduced on 1 August 2022, the highest-ranked White Ferns player can earn up to NZD 163,246 per year, including retainers, match fees, and performance bonuses. Bates also receives income from professional leagues such as the WBBL, The Hundred, and WCPL, but those contract figures remain confidential.
Family
Otago-based media profiles confirm that her parents are Robin and Jo Bates, and she has three siblings — Tom, Henry, and Olivia, the latter known for her netball career. There is no verified public record of marriage, but New Zealand Herald’s Spysection reported in April 2024 that she was dating sports commentator Scotty “Sumo” Stevenson; later that year, Stevenson referred to her as “my partner” in a December 2024 feature.
Scandals
No scandals or disciplinary issues have been associated with her.
Fans
Suzie Bates maintains a visible yet modest online presence, focusing on her sporting life rather than personal promotion.
Her Instagram account has around 63,000 followers, where she shares posts about training, matches, and occasional glimpses of life with the White Ferns and Otago Sparks. On Facebook, her official page gathers about 4,000 followers, primarily fans of New Zealand women’s cricket.
