White Ferns In Africa: Amy Satterthwaite Is Amazing
The fourth ODI between our White Ferns and South Africa saw the kiwis make a few changes, both in personnel and how they lined up with the bat. This didn't see the Ferns take their foot off the throttle though as they did well to restrict SA to 194 before storming home with the bat to chase down the target in 28.2 overs at 6.91rpo.
Suzie Bates slid down the batting line up and was due in at No.5 as Natalie Dodd was promoted to open alongside Rachel Priest. Hannah Rowe and Thamsyn Newton came in for Lea Tahuhu and Sam Curtis, an interesting yet exciting selection decision as Rowe's 20-years-old and made her first appearance in this series while Newton's 21 and made her second appearance. Newton couldn't manage a wicket, conceding 4.66rpo off her 6 overs while Rowe took 2/27 off 6 overs at 4.50rpo.
The chief-destroyer with the ball was Amy Satterthwaite, who continues to show what a classy cricketer she is as she also hit 81* to steer the Ferns to victory. Satterthwaite took 3/33 off 8 overs at 4.12rpo, while Holly Huddleston backed up her 5-for with 1/51 at 5.66rpo and Morna Nielsen also chipped in with another display of tight bowling as she only conceded 20 runs off 10 overs. Three run-outs also heaped the pressure on SA.
Dodd was unable to make the most of her move up the order, leaving Satterthwaite and Priest to take over. Priest has had a lean series with the bat so far, putting up scores of 8, 31 and 10 prior to this innings so it's only right that she got amongst the runs like Satterthwaite is.
Satterthwaite's series so far looks like this...
19, 4/13
47, 0/24.
1/45, 89*.
3/33, 81*.
With Bates not having a bat in this game, Satterthwaite re-affirmed her position at the top of the run-scorers list and sits tied with Morna Nielsen at the top of the wicket-takers.
Satterthwaite has 236 runs from four games at an average of 118 and a strike-rate of 89.05 (Bates is battlin' on 152 runs at 76 and a 82.60sr), combine that with 8 wickets from 37 overs at an average of 14.17 and 3.10rpo. Nielsen sits at the top thanks to an average of 13 from 39 overs and 2.66rpo, while Huddleston also has 8 wickets and her 8 wickets have come off just 30.1 overs, just a tad more expensive at 4.50rpo.
The fifth ODI takes place tomorrow, meaning a Thursday write up and with the Ferns now up 3-1 in the series, they will be eager to ram home this advantage and not give up another loss. The first three ODI fixtures in this series were part of the ICC Women's Championship - possibly why changes were made for the fourth ODI - and two wins from the Ferns took them up to 4th after 18 games on 20 points, while SA sit a spot below them on the ladder on 17 points. England are currently on 21 points and West Indies are on 22 points, with one more game to come in their series while Australia are on 30 points after 18 games.