Team Preview: Under a new skipper, can the White Ferns claim the trophy?

New Zealand are the number two ranked Twenty-20 side in the world. They also have the top-ranked batter Suzie Bates and the fifth ranked all-rounder Sophie Devine in their squad. The White Ferns have a strong team, led by new captain Amy Satterthwaite, after Bates stepped down from the role. Under this new leadership, can New Zealand claim the title of the Women's World Twenty-20 champions?



 



Strengths:



Their batting line-up is probably New Zealand's biggest strength. With Bates, Devine and Satterthwaite among their ranks, the White Ferns have a daunting batting attack. Especially so since youngsters Jess Watkin and Bernadine Bezuidenhout have joined the squad. They have bolstered up the batting order and their inclusion in the squad will greatly help their teams' performance.



New Zealand also have a strong bowling attack, spearheaded by pacers Lea Tahuhu and Holly Huddleston. These two are experienced campaigners and are economical upfront, at the beginning of the innings. The White Ferns have a spin attack to match. Off-spinner Leigh Kasperek and leggie Amelia Kerr round up what is a dynamic bowling unit; one that will definitely cause their opponents some grief.



 



Key Players:



At the top of the order, Bates and Devine will play a crucial role. These two seasoned players will need to create a solid foundation at the start of the innings that the rest of the batters can build upon. A lot relies on their contribution. Towards the back end of the innings, Katey Martin and Bezuidenhout will also be required to play useful cameos, as they did in the series against Australia. It was their contribution towards the end of the innings, that lifted New Zealand to a competitive total in a few matches.



Devine will be essential with the ball as well. She bowls accurately and economically, cramping up the batters for room so, they can not hit freely. Alongside her, Tahuhu's been in good form with the ball too. She bowled well in New Zealand's series against Australia and showed why she remains one of the most difficult bowlers to face in the shortest format of the game. As for spin, Kasperek and Kerr will be an essential part of the bowling unit. Especially with the Caribbean pitches suiting spin more.



 



Areas of Concern:



In the World Cup last year, the cracks in New Zealand's batting order were exposed. They suffered a catastrophic collapse in their match against India, which meant they were knocked out of the tournament. The same problem continued in their tour of England and the last match of their Australian tour showed it too.



So much stress has been laid upon the performance of Bates, Devine and Sattethwaite because if they do not fire, the White Ferns line-up essentially crumbles. They need other batters to step up. The likes of Martin and Maddy Green, who have been playing the game for a while now, need to take responsibility if the top-order falters. If not, New Zealand will struggle to advance in the tournament.



 



Youngsters to Watch Out for:



While Kerr is still a teenager, she has been in the squad for a while now so, we all know what she's capable of with the ball. More recently though, she has started to find her footing on the crease too. Her double-century against Ireland was just the start of her batting career. It will be interesting to see how she performs with the bat in the World Twenty-20.



Other youngsters to watch our for are Watkin and Bezuidenhout. Both are powerful batters and can hit the ball hard. Watkin is also a handy off-spinner, who took a wicket with the first ball of her international career. The World Twenty-20 will give her a good opportunity to step up with both bat and ball and show everyone what she has got. Bezuidenhout, on the other hand, will be the White Ferns backup wicket-keeper. Quick behind the stumps and destructive with the bat, Bezuidenhout is a rising talent for New Zealand.



 



Performance over the Last Editions:



New Zealand reached the final of the World Twenty-20 twice; first in 2009, where they lost to England, then in 2010, when the lost to Australia. They also made it to the semi-finals on two occasions; in 2012 and 2016. Despite having moderately successful run in the tournament, New Zealand are yet to claim the title.



With a new captain and some exciting youngsters in the squad, can New Zealand end the drought?



 



Squad: 



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