White Ferns vs Bangladesh T20I Series Debrief
Aotearoa enjoyed a 3-0 T20I series win over Bangladesh, winning by considerable margins in all three games and having a jolly ol' time. Prior to this series the White Ferns and Bangladesh had played just one T20I game which helps serve up some context around the T20I challenge offered by Bangladesh, context that needs to be digested as all White Ferns cricket builds towards the T20 World Cup.
White Ferns are a strong T20I outfit. This year they are 10-3-1 with a win/loss ratio of 3.33 which is the second highest of major wahine cricket nations, only Australia has a better record. Australia and Aotearoa are the only nations with a win/loss ratio above 2.
This year Aotearoa played in the Commonwealth Games and won a bronze medal, featuring two games against England, as well as games against South Africa and Australia. There was one T20I game against India at the start of the year, then five games over in the Caribbean and this series against Bangladesh. White Ferns have the second best T20I record this year and they have played against seven different nations.
Forget the ODI World Cup woes and the previous era of White Ferns cricket. As we wind up 2022, White Ferns are a world-class T20I team and while the growth of wahine cricket will be evident in the growth of nations like Bangladesh, right now Aotearoa is a few levels above Bangladesh.
White Ferns have established foundations in this format over the course of the year. Four batters are averaging over 25 with strike-rates over 100 and six bowlers are averaging below 25, conceding less than 6.5rpo. The rise of Maddy Green is the most notable batting wrinkle as this is her first year of T20I batting in which she is averaging more than 16; Green has almost doubled her average and tally of runs from her previous best mahi.
Green also snapped up her opportunity as wicket-keeper in this series. Apart from a few minor errors as she built up confidence, Green looked at ease in this role and the ball seemed to stick to her gloves regardless of what was happening in front of her. Operating with Green as wicket-keeper is similar to Blackcaps using Devon Conway as wicket-keeper in T20I cricket and there is an obvious benefit to the balance of the team. Green may also be the best wicket-keeper in Aotearoa at the moment.
Don't overlook Amelia Kerr's batting mahi. This has not been Kerr's best year of ODI batting because of her 2018 carnage (93.5avg/133sr), but she is in her second consecutive year of ODI batting averaging over 30. Kerr has 652 runs @ 59.27avg/86sr in ODI cricket this year and leads Aotearoa for ODI runs, ranked sixth in the world. Only one batter has more runs and a higher average than Kerr.
Kerr then rolled through her best campaign of Women's Big Bash League batting. Kerr scored 295 runs @ 26.81avg/118.27sr and for context, Suzie Bates scored more runs with a lower average and strike-rate (318 runs @ 26.5avg/104.6sr). Sophie Devine scored 182 runs @ 16.54avg/97.32sr.
Kerr scored less than 100 runs and/or averaged less than 20 in her first four years of T20I batting. Kerr scored 113 runs @ 22.6avg/94.16sr last year and bumped that up to 327 runs @ 32.7avg/111.22sr this year.
Green and Kerr are the only White Ferns averaging 30+ in T20I cricket this year, both have strike-rates over 110. Green has quietly elevated her mahi under coach Ben Sawyer and with the wicket-keeping wrinkle, Green is low key crucial to White Ferns success. Kerr is one of the best batters in the world.
There are some batting holes. Lauren Down only batted once in this series (6 runs @ 43sr) and this fits into a wider trend as Down has 58 runs @ 14.5avg/72.5sr this year. Down didn't appear to have her regular zip in the field and while this is vibe-based, it could suggest a lack of confidence in the T20I format.
Georgia Plimmer scored 5 runs @ 62.5sr against Bangladesh and despite getting ample faith to develop at this level, Plimmer as 47 runs @ 7.28/85sr this year. Plimmer will be a player to track closely during the Super Smash. The steady flow of T20 games against domestic bowlers could be what Plimmer needs to find production to go with her potential.
Rebecca Burns entered the White Ferns T20I mixer in this series, replacing an injured Brooke Halliday (47 runs @ 11.75avg/90.38sr this year). Down, Plimmer, Halliday and Burns are the leading contenders for batting spots outside of the big-four. All of them have T20 stats that can be twisted this way or that and none of them have been dominant Super Smash batters, yet Burns’ power and instincts feel best suited to this specific role.
Lea Tahuhu finished this series as the best White Ferns bowler and a touring Asian team was the perfect recipe for Tahuhu to find form. Prior to this series, Tahuhu had 4w @ 39.5avg in T20Is this year and she finishes the year with 12w @ 16.66avg. Tahuhu was also fresh off her worst WBBL campaign in which she took 4w @ 38.5avg, which takes us into an intriguing Super Smash for the Canterbury seamer.
Tahuhu is one of six bowlers who finish this year with 10+ wickets, averages below 25 and conceding less than 6.5rpo. Of these six bowlers, A-Kerr is the only one averaging 20+ and any pocket in which A-Kerr is the worst bowler, is fabulous. This group features three seamers in Hayley Jensen, Sophie Devine and Tahuhu as well as three spinners with A-Kerr, Fran Jonas and Eden Carson.
The skills on offer in his core bowling unit add to White Ferns foundations. Devine and A-Kerr are top-four batters. Devine, Jensen and Tahuhu can all swing the ball. Devine and Tahuhu can serve up hostile bouncers. A-Kerr spins the ball both ways. Jonas is freakishly economical. Carson is one of the best fielders in the team, as is A-Kerr.
Jess Kerr played just five games this year and still took 5w @ 11.8avg/3.68rpo. J-Kerr can play alongside the group of six listed above if White Ferns tinker with their 1st 11 balance, or she offers nifty depth in the bowling stocks. Hannah Rowe's all-round ability could be a factor to track during the Super Smash and she will be eager to demand T20 World Cup selection.
This summer's Super Smash should be really fun. Aotearoa's best wahine cricketers are likely to play plenty of T20 games and set the standard for the rest of the competition, especially players on the fringe trying to seal T20WC selection. This will also be coach Sawyer's first opportunity to see the Super Smash as it blooms in a kiwi summer and maybe domestic cricket will count for something ahead of the T20WC.
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Peace and love.