Suzie Wilson Bates

About Suzie Wilson Bates

A name synonymous with excellence in women’s cricket, Suzie Wilson Bates is a formidable all-rounder whose career has been marked by a relentless pursuit of records and accolades. Her exceptional talent was globally recognized when she was crowned the ICC ODI Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2013. Bates made her international debut for New Zealand in 2006, swiftly establishing herself as a key player. In the 2012-13 season, she also contributed her skills to the Western Australia domestic set-up.

Bates played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s journey to the final of the 2009 Women’s World Cup. During that tournament, she delivered a stunning bowling performance of 4-7 against South Africa in a group match, before unleashing a destructive New Zealand record-breaking innings of 168 off just 105 balls against Pakistan in the Super Sixes. Her brilliance continued into 2013, where she was named the ICC Women’s World Cup Player of the Tournament, having been the tournament’s top scorer.

The year 2018 proved to be another landmark season for Bates. She registered her tenth century in Women’s One Day Internationals, scoring an impressive 151 runs against Ireland. In that very match, she surpassed Debbie Hockley’s long-standing total of 4,064 runs, becoming the leading run-scorer for New Zealand Women in WODIs. Her dominance extended to the shortest format, as she notched her maiden century in Women’s T20 Internationals during a Tri-Nation Series match against South Africa Women. In the process, Bates overtook Charlotte Edwards’ record of 2,605 runs to become the format’s leading run-scorer. She also reached another significant milestone in the same tri-series, becoming only the second woman, after Jenny Gunn, to play 100 WT20I matches.

In 2018, Bates made the decision to step down as New Zealand captain, with Amy Satterthwaite taking over the leadership role. Later that year, during the ICC Women’s World T20 tournament held in the West Indies, Bates achieved a historic first: she became the first cricketer, male or female, to score 3,000 runs in T20 international matches. Her impact at the tournament was undeniable, as she led New Zealand’s scoring with 161 runs across four matches, further solidifying her status as one of the game’s true legends.