White Ferns Super League Tour #3
The Kia Women's Super League rolls on and before I get into how the White Ferns have been performing in England, it's time for a rant. Having the Super League is great and it gives female cricketers another opportunity to further themselves as professionals but the way the Super League has been covered and the lack of broadcasts is kinda dumb. As we search for equality, specifically in cricket, it's already dumb that women's cricket is relegated to limited overs cricket and that there's no Test cricket outside of token 'Ashes' series'.
Take a look on the England Cricket Board's Youtube channel and you'll find a plethora of videos regarding men's cricket, from the England Test team to County cricket and then a constant wave of highlights and content from the T20 Blast competition. As the Super League isn't actually being broadcasted, there's no highlights and instead of giving the women's game more exposure, the ECB has opted for slideshow videos to keep people like me updated.
I believe that the ECB should be ashamed of themselves because it's really not that difficult to set up a camera at each end and at least provide video highlights, let alone streaming games online via avenues like Youtube. It's not that hard and the ECB have shown this themselves because their Youtube coverage of men's cricket is up there with Cricket Australia's as the best in the world, yet there's very little for the females.
We've come a long way for sure, but we shouldn't settle. Women's cricket shouldn't be pigeon-holed as a limited overs or, even worse a T20 sport, let alone receive little to no coverage compared to the men's stuff. Kinda embarrassing really.
Lougborough Lightning vs Lancashire Thunder
Amy Satterthwaite's Lancashire took on Sophie Devine and the Loughborough Lightning in a battle of lightning vs Thunder this time last week. Satterthwaite backed up Devine's half-century in the opening game with 52 off 32 balls herself, helping the Thunder to a total of 164, scoring at a strike-rate of 162.50 and ensuring that Devine conceded 22 runs off her 2 overs without a wicket.
Loughborough could only managed 158 in reply, Devine was out for 2 off 4 balls meaning that Satterthwaite took the points in the battle of the kiwi No.3 batswomen. Satterthwaite also had a bowl, going wicket-less for 33 runs off her 4 overs.
Amy Satterthwaite: 52, 0/33 off 4
Sophie Devine: 0/22 off 2, 2
Surrey Stars vs Yorkshire Diamonds
Lea Tahuhu was the only kiwi involved here, playing for Surrey in their win over Yorkshire. Tahuhu continued a lean few days for the kiwi bowlers as she could only manage 0/24 off 3 overs with Yorkshire making 134 first up. Tahuhu didn't get a bat as she wasn't needed, with Surrey reaching 135 in 18.1 overs.
Lea Tahuhu: 0/24 off 3
Lancashire vs Southern
Amy Satterthwaite fell victim to the Southern Vipers and their gang of White Ferns, in what was an excellent all-round game for the White Ferns. It started with the Vipers batting first, Suzie Bates whacked 15 off 13 before Sara McGlashan came in at No.4 and became the third kiwi to hit a half-century thus far, hitting 54* off 50 balls as she guided Southern to a total of 132. Satterthwaite took a wicket as well, finishing with 1/22 off 4 overs.
And Satterthwaite's form with the willow continues to impress as she hit 31 off 30 balls in her No.3 slot, helping the Thunder to a strong start ... after Morna Nielsen took a wicket in her first over. Nielsen opened the bowling and had a wicket with her fourth delivery, she then played a key role in a run-out and took another wicket with the run-out and her second wicket coming in the space of 2 overs. Nielsen finished with 2/16 off 4 overs, while Bates also chipped in nicely, taking the last 2 wickets with figures of 2/20 off 4.
Suzie Bates: 15, 2/20 off 4
Sara McGlashan: 54
Amy Satterthwaite: 1/22 off 4, 31
Morna Nielsen: 2/16 off 4
Louborough Lightning vs Western Storm
Sophie Devine started the tournament off nicely, however this was her second failure with the bat in a row as she was sent back to the sheds for 1 off 9 balls as Loughborough reached 158.
Western wicket-keeper Rachel Priest took two stumpings in this innings as well, before opening the innings for the Storm. Priest was out for 13 off 18 as the Storm could only reach 153 off their 20 overs and unfortunately for Devine, her team won but she struggled with the ball bowling 3 overs for 26 without a wicket.
Sophie Devine: 1, 0/26 off 3
Rachel Priest: 13, 2x stumping
Western Storm vs Surrey Stars
Priest was back in action for the Storm against Lea Tahuhu's Surrey Stars, with the Stars making 161 first up with Tahuhu again not needed to bat. Priest was then run-out by Tahuhu for 7 off 5 balls and Priest's side then went on to make 165 off 19.4 overs, with Tahuhu finishing with 1/28 off 2.4 overs.
Rachel Priest: 7
Lea Tahuhu: 1/28 off 2.4
Southern Vipers vs Yorkshire
Suzie Bates continued her decent form for Southern, hitting 45* off 45 balls against Yorkshire, carrying her bat through the innings as the Vipers reached 118 off their 20 overs. Sara McGlashan wasn't much help, out for 6 off 10 balls.
Once again, Morna Nielsen opened the bowling and showed what a gun she is as she took 2/18 off 4 overs and with Bates also taking 2/8 off 2.3 overs, the Vipers restricted Yorkshire to just 64.
Suzie Bates: 45, 2/8 off 2.3
Sara McGlashan: 6
Morna Nielsen: 2/18 off 4
Lancashire Thunder vs Surrey Stars
Lancashire were first up with the bat against Surrey and Amy Satterthwaite was at the crease after 2 balls, needing to steady the innings. Satterthwaite did just that, hitting 34* off 43 balls and top-scored, anchoring the innings without much support from her middle and lower order.
Lea Tahuhu again went without a wicket and conceded 20 runs off her 2 overs.
Tahuhu also, again wasn't needed to bat as her Surrey homies chased reached the 103-run target in 15.2 overs, only 3 wickets down. Satterthwaite was the fifth bowler used, going wicket-less for 19 runs off 2.2 overs.
Amy Satterthwaite: 34 off 45, 0/19 off 2.2.
Lea Tahuhu: 0/20 off 2.
We've got two White Ferns in the top-10 run-scorers, with Amy Satterthwaite ranked 2nd and Suzie Bates ranked 8th. Satterthwaite has 130 runs to her name, averaging 43.33 with a strike-rate of 106.55 after four games, while Bates has 85 runs at an average of 42.50 and a strike-rate of 100 after three games.
If you wanted a clear example of Bates' brilliance, she also features in the top-10 wicket-takers. Bates is ranked 7th with 5 wickets at an average of 9.60 and is conceding 4.57rpo, while her Vipers team mate Morna Nielsen is ranked 6th, also with 5 wickets but with a lower average of 9.20 and a better rpo of 3.83.