NEWS
Follow UsIt was nearly two decades ago that Suzie Bates, now 37, made her international debut for New Zealand.
Bates was all of 18 years old when she strode out in White Ferns colours for the first time ever, against India in Lincoln back in 2006. 19 years on, Bates has enjoyed one of the most successful careers ever and is a first-ballot Hall of Famer not just in New Zealand cricket, but Women’s cricket, overall. But despite having a career worthy of a ‘GOAT’ shout, one thing is still missing from her CV, and that is the tag of a ‘world champion’.
It was back in 2000 that the White Ferns won their first and only world title but none of the current squad members, Bates included, were part of that triumph. Bates and Sophie Devine both came within touching distance of being world champions in 2009 & 2010, when New Zealand reached the T20 World Cup final in consecutive years and the ODI World Cup final in 2009, but the pair ended up enduring heartbreak on all three occasions.
But fairy tales do exist, and there is one dangling right in front of Bates, with the White Ferns one win away from becoming world champions for the first time in the shortest format, and for the second time ever.
Sometimes, you just feel some things are meant to be. For Bates, it feels like her entire career has been building up to this very moment.
“When you play a team sport, your goal, your ultimate goal is to be a world champion,” Bates said ahead of the final.
“So, I think it's been all those tournaments that have motivated me and I know Sophie as well, and some of the younger girls, fortunately or unfortunately, don't have that extra motivation. But yeah, so it feels like it's just all built to this moment and we get one more opportunity tomorrow to have a good dig.
“I think that's the most overwhelming thing about it. It's felt like a really long journey to get back to this point.”
Bates has been at the wrong end of the result in a final on three separate occasions. Yet by her own admission, the one that still hurts her and the entire group the most is what unfolded in the 2022 ODI World Cup at home, where the White Ferns missed out on making it to the semi-finals by a single point.
“Yeah, I think for this group, when you get one opportunity in a c areer, usually to have a home World Cup and you don't quite nail it, that comes with a lot of disappointment,” she recalled the heartbreak in 2022.
“We had a really great fan base during that World Cup and we had some really tight matches and we were so close to getting through to that semi-final stage.”
Sunday will be a special occasion for the entire group but in particular for three individuals: Bates, Devine & Lea Tahuhu.
The three are not just the most experienced individuals in this group but have been the heartbeat of New Zealand cricket for the past decade. While Devine and Bates have both featured in every T20 World Cup that’s ever been played, Tahuhu has been a regular in the side for the best part of a decade.
The three, understandably, shared a special moment at the end of the semi-final, knowing they possibly had one final shot at being champions. Bates spoke about what the finale means for the three of them.
“Obviously, we're the grandmas of the team. And yeah, we're still standing, I think. Leah with her bionic knee, Sophie just having dealt with a lot of stuff as captain over the last few years and me just keeping on going and going,” Bates said.
“So yeah, it's just a really special moment when you know there's been some tough times. The three of us in particular have been through the ups and downs and to have that moment and knowing we'd made the semifinals which gives yourself a chance was really special.
“So we look after each other like old girls and try and keep up with some of the younger players.”
Bates spoke in detail about Devine, who has been her partner-in-crime on the field for the best part of two decades. Bates and Devine have played over 200 international games together and have been the two faces of New Zealand cricket in the past decade. Both have featured under each other’s captaincy and have shared a plethora of good and bad moments together.
Sunday could very well be the last ‘big’ moment they share together on the field.
“I have a lot to thank her for and the reason that I'm still here,” Bates said of Devine.
“I think she probably doesn't realise how much she's motivated me to be better. And it was a really tough decision when I decided to step away from the captaincy. But knowing I had Amy and Sophie in the group, it allowed me to do that with a bit more ease. And the support that she's given me through captaincy and when I haven't been captain has been massive.
“She's one of a kind there will never be another Sophie Devine in world cricket.
“Off the field, she's just so calm and level. She's brought some great values to this group, making sure that we care about people as cricketers first and foremost. She doesn't get caught up in too much of the politics that goes with being captain. She just concentrates on doing her job.
“And yeah, we're really going to miss her and I'm going to miss her as captain. But look, we've still got a little bit left in us And I've just loved every minute of being in a team with her.”
What would victory mean for New Zealand? ‘Everything’, according to Bates. But according to the veteran, this side is already a champion unit for the sheer fact that, by reaching the final, they’ve already gone a long way in inspiring thousands of young kids in the country - and across the world - to take up the sport, hoping to become the next Amelia Kerr or Eden Carson.
“Yeah, as a cricketer, like everything, like I touched on earlier, like your ultimate goal is to be a world champion. Like, you play for other goals, but when you play a team sport, that's the ultimate. So that's what I've been chasing personally and as a group. Every time you go to a World Cup, you want to win it. So, I think especially from where we've come from, when a team's been able to bounce back after 10 losses in a row, the pride, and the resilience that we have as a group makes it so special,” the 37-year-old said.
“And we've never given up on each other. And that's thanks to the support staff. Ben Sawyer, he's been through the ringer trying to get this team believing in themselves and a huge credit has to go to him for just constantly backing that same group when results weren't coming our way. And he's pretty quiet but I know deep down he's really proud and it'll mean a lot to him.
“But to everyone in New Zealand, like I said, if you've been a White Ferns supporter, it's been a bit up and down in the last decade. So, we know we've got a lot of fans and young girls during that World Cup.
“Sometimes they don't actually care about the results. They just love seeing their idols playing and showing their skill and they just love watching. But I think to have a final, even more inspiring and there'll be young players that want to be the next Eden Carson, she's the face of the tournament, or Melie Kerr, so that's exciting for us.”
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