Hobart, 9 October (HS). Experienced New Zealand player Suzie Bates will play for the Hobart Hurricanes for the first time in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), having been signed as an overseas replacement player for the final stages of the tournament.
Bates, 37, has played 100 WBBL matches across eight seasons for the Adelaide Strikers, Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers. This player, who scored the most runs in Women's T20 International matches, was not selected in the WBBL draft this year. But with England players withdrawing from the final stages of the WBBL due to the tour of South Africa, Bates has been signed by the Hurricanes as a replacement for Danny Wyatt-Hodge. England's T20 players are expected to arrive in South Africa on November 17, leaving Wyatt-Hodge out of the final three WBBL matches and the final if the Hurricanes qualify.
Hurricanes general manager Sallyanne Beams was thrilled to add Bates to the team alongside Chloe Tryon and Liezel Lee.
Beams said, “When we saw that she was not selected in the draft, it felt right to include Suzy in our WBBL squad, we felt she would be the perfect replacement for Danny, having played over 130 matches in T20I cricket. [167] “She will give us an experienced operator when we lose someone of Danny’s caliber in our line-up.”
Hobart Hurricanes WBBL team: Suzie Bates (foreign), Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee (foreign), Hayley Silver-Holmes, Tabatha Saville, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenman, Chloe Tryon (foreign ), Elise Villani, Kelly Wilson, Danny Wyatt-Hodge (Foreigner).