2020/21 Kiwi-WBBL #6 (White Ferns Context)
With no kiwis in the Women's Big Bash League final, Suzie Bates battling shoulder issues and enticing Hallyburton Johnstone Shield performances to start this summer, it feels as though the funk that has swept over the men's kiwi cricket landscape is here to shake things up across both the lads and ladies sides of kiwi cricket. First, let's check how the various kiwi wahine performed in this year's WBBL...
Sophie Devine
3rd in runs, 460 runs @ 51.11avg/126.37sr.
6 wickets in 23.2 overs @ 28.33avg/7.28rpo/23.3sr.
Amelia Kerr
97 runs @ 10.77avg/97sr.
6th in wickets, 17w in 50.2ov @ 15.76avg/5.32rpo/17.7sr.
Maddy Green
129 runs @ 12.90avg/88.96sr.
Rachel Priest
10th in runs, 354 runs @ 35.40avg/118sr.
Rosemary Mair
8w in 22ov @ 18.37avg/6.68rpo/16.5sr.
Amy Satterthwaite
204 runs @ 20.40avg/78.16sr.
Lea Tahuhu
4w in 17ov @ 29avg/6.82rpo/25.5sr.
Devine and Kerr were the most notable performers, both finishing among the best bowlers and batswomen of WBBL06. We know Devine usually dominates any cricket she plays and while there isn't too much funk there as far as White Ferns context or interesting Devine insights, it's always important to take a moment of appreciation for Devine's excellence and thus remind ourselves that Aotearoa is the best sporting nation in the world. Specifically in cricket, Aotearoa has produced a few of the world's best cricketers on the men's and women's side currently in rotation, in all formats.
Kerr is definitely in that world-class group and with Bates injured and Satterthwaite unable to hit her status-quo in WBBL, women's cricket in Aotearoa is currently all about Kerr and Devine. Last summer's WBBL campaign saw Kerr finish 15th in wickets with 14w @ 25.50avg/6.22rpo/24.5sr and Kerr improved on all those stats, plus Kerr was the most economical bowler of the 49 bowlers who took 4+ wickets; Kerr was the basically the most economical bowler in WBBL.
At this point, Kerr is one of the best bowlers in the world and it appears as though Rosemary Mair is trending in the right direction as well to bolster the White Ferns supporting cast. Playing for both Melbourne teams, Mair was worthy of more game time but was playing second fiddle to Lea Tahuhu with Melbourne Renegades and England's Katherine Brunt for Melbourne Stars so when their best bowlers were available, Mair as the overseas replacement player was bumped out of either 1st 11.
Mair took her 8w with a strike-rate of 16.5, meaning she took a wicket every 16.5 deliveries bowled and that is slightly better than Kerr's strike-rate of 17.7 while also aligned with the best bowlers of WBBL06. Last summer, Mair took 7w @ 24.71avg/6.17rpo/24sr in the Super Smash and all of this suggests that Mair is improving steadily and should be a consistent factor in the White Ferns bowling group.
Neither Satterthwaite or Tahuhu were at their best in WBBL06, although in the T20I series vs Australia a prior to WBBL, Satterthwaite was the best batswoman or Aotearoa and Tahuhu sat behind Devine as the best bowler. Both are experienced troopers of White Ferns cricket and while more competition for places is slowly growing, Satterthwaite and Tahuhu are still 1st 11 starters in either format.
It's getting tricky with Maddy Green though, who missed the last few games for Brisbane Heat after moving from the opening role to start WBBL to the middle order. Green scored 129 runs @ 12.90avg in 10inns for the Heat and this came after Green scored 22 runs @ 7.33avg in the T20I series vs Australia. Green currently has a T20I batting average of 11.66 and in her 51 games of T20I cricket, Green has a highest score of 29.
Green appeared to hit a low key nek level last summer, going alright in the Heat's championship run with 309 runs @ 20.60avg/112.36sr and that carried into Wellington's championship Super Smash run where Green scored 266 runs @ 38avg/121.46sr. All of that flowed into the T20 World Cup earlier this year where Green finished behind Devine as the best White Ferns batswoman with 92 runs @ 23avg/112.19sr.
I was eager to see if Green would kick on this summer, yet that's not how it played out. This sets up a crucial summer in Aotearoa for Green and there is every chance that she scores plenty of HBJ Shield and Super Smash runs, this does highlight the biggest issue for the White Ferns since they hit a plateau and have fallen slightly away from the best teams in the world; they desperately need greater contributions to support Bates, Devine and Satterthwaite as well as brewing a more competitive selection environment.
Lauren Down played a bunch of games for Perth Scorcers without any scores of note and these two form the best example of the above issue. Green averages 19.66 in ODIs and 11.66 in T20Is and has enjoyed fairly consistent selection for a number of years, while Down averages 7.50 in ODIs and 11.66 in T20Is and while she isn't as experienced as Green, that’s where the funk sits as Green's an experienced campaigner and Down's clearly a prospect that the White Ferns want to promote. However, neither has commanded their consistent opportunities.
That wasn't such an issue when Devine, Bates and Satterthwaite would dominate most games and now these holes are being exposed. What's cool here though is that there is talent coming through and this gets a bit weird when players like Frances Mackay, Caitlin Gurrey, Jess Watkin and Natalie Dodd (among others) are overlooked for selection or don't get playing time. I'll follow this closely as the HBJ Shield competition continues around the Super Smash and there is a weird dynamic here given that most of the younger players who started strongly in the HBJ Shield are not in the NZC Development Contract group.
All of this is in alignment with the wider context of kiwi cricket. There is plenty of change happening with the Blackcaps across the different formats, plus scheduling is creating a space in domestic cricket where fresh up and comers are shaking things up. I reckon we may see the White Ferns forced into a bunch of changes to what was a super settled group and there is also a wave of players who are seemingly coming out of nowhere to be factors in domestic cricket.
There are no White Fern games locked in on the NZC schedule, but it was mentioned that England and/or Australia may pop into Aotearoa for games in February. The White Ferns have leaned towards into having a settled group over the last few years and that was fair considering the emerging talent wasn't quite as strong as it is now. Now we are entering a fairly intriguing period of women's cricket within Aotearoa that will give the likes of Green an opportunity to stack up runs, as well as the players who are on the cusp of returning to the Ferns or command their first crack.
WBBL06 was niggly and coming after the mini-tour of Australia, elements of these past few months have been under-whelming. The beauty here is that the domestic summer is nicely set up for all sorts of pockets of intrigue and this is shaping up as a crucial wee period for women's cricket in Aotearoa.
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Peace and love.