Suzie Bates awarded player of the year for the Southern Vipers for second year in a row

White Ferns skipper and Southern Vipers player in the KIA super league, Suzannah Wilson "Suzie" Bates was awarded ‘Player of the Year’ for the second consecutive time. The KIA super league is organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board every year since 2016, and in both editions, Bates has been named the player of the year for Southern Vipers.



 



The KIA super league is a 20-20 format and is solely for women’s cricket. It was first organized in 2016 when Southern Vipers became the champions under the leadership of Charlotte Edwards, but in 2017 they lost the title against the same team (Western Storm) they defeated in the past year. This loss against Western Storm, also officially marked the end of Edwards' long cricket career.



 



Bates, has been outstanding through both seasons for Southern Vipers in KIA super league, scored 492 runs facing 401 balls, which included 1 century and 3 half-centuries, hitting 62 fours and 10 sixes. Her highest score was 119 unbeaten, and her Super league campaign included 3 other unbeaten innings, with a superb 123+ strike rate. In bowling, she took 17 wickets with an average of 11.80, conceding around 6 runs per over; with her best haul of 3/15.



 



Suzie’s international career has been more interesting than any other, having played 187 matches and scored 5863 runs, which includes 8 centuries and 46 half-centuries; with the highest score of 168 runs, and a total of 119 wickets. The White Ferns skipper was chosen as the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year for the first time in 2013. Just after two years in 2015, she once again broke all records together and was selected Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World, ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year, and ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year.



 



Not just that, but Bates is a talented Basketball player too. She's represented New Zealand in Women's basketball, during the 2008 Summer Olympics. Suzie also played professional basketball for the Christchurch Sirens in the Australian Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), starting in 24 games between 2007 and 2008, before moving to the Otago Gold Rush in 2009 and the Logan Thunder (WNBL) in 2009/10.



 



The Women’s CricZone team congratulates the multi-talented Suzie Bates for her numerous ground- breaking records.