Team Preview: New Zealand have the power to destabilize the hosts

If you take the England results out of the equation the Northern Tour that New Zealand are on now has been an outstanding success. What they will be looking for in the final leg is to finish with a win and the even more important ICC Women’s Championship points.



 



Key Players:



Suzie Bates is, without a doubt, New Zealand’s most important player. An attacking batter who can tear bowling attacks to shreds is also a useful bowler and good fielder. Along with the captaincy she has a lot on her plate, but she does so with an unwavering calmness.



If they are to beat England they need their bowlers to be on top form and in the shape of Lea Tahuhu they have a bowler with the ability to hurry up even the best batting line-up.



 



Strengths:



The Ireland leg of the tour proved that they have a frighteningly good batting line-up. This was backed up with their record-breaking score against South Africa at Taunton in a T20I.



Bates and Sophie Devine give New Zealand the potential to get their team off to the perfect start. Amy Satterthwaite has scored four consecutive hundreds in ODI in the past. Amelia Kerr has shown that the younger generations are stepping up to make New Zealand a real force.



 



Weaknesses:



If there is one weakness is that New Zealand are a bowler short. England are a side that score in all areas of the ground. This can put pressure on decent bowlers and sometimes even their batting attack can’t compensate.



 



Previous results:



New Zealand have had a good time during their tour of England and Ireland. Their batters broke all sorts of records. They were impressive in their dominance of Ireland where they regularly scored over 300.



The Tri-series went well even if they couldn’t beat an England side that has an impressive record over the current side.



 



Conclusion:



If New Zealand’s batters fire this has all the makings of an exciting series. Bates and Devine are experienced of English conditions and if they are at their best then England will have something to fear.



 



Squad:



Suzie Bates (c), Sophie Devine, Kate Ebrahim, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Katey Martin, Anna Peterson, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Jess Watkin