Bates and Devine on the verge of historic milestones vs SA, with the former becoming the first woman to play 350 ODIs.
Bates and Devine are on the cusp of achieving major landmarks in Women’s cricket as they take on the field vs South Africa.
When Suzie Bates plays South Africa in the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in Indore on Monday, she will become the first woman to play 350 international matches.
She will get the opportunity to commemorate the milestone alongside Sophie Devine, a fellow New Zealand icon and captain, who will play in her 300th international match on Monday.
Only a few months before to Devine’s debut for the White Ferns on their tour of Australia at the age of 17, Bates had made her debut in an ODI against India in 2006 at the age of 19. Bates was a top-tier basketball player at the time; she even played for New Zealand in the 2008 Beijing Olympics before deciding to concentrate on cricket.
Milestones on the back-burner for now
After losing their opening match against Australia on October 1, Bates stated that she and Devine will put those achievements on hold for the time being in order to concentrate on their important World Cup match against South Africa.
“Yeah, there’s probably a little bit of embarrassment from both of us,” Bates said at her press conference on the eve of New Zealand’s clash against South Africa. “We just feel that when we celebrate these milestones, it’s just because we’re getting old. But yeah, it’s one of those things that maybe in the moment, you probably take for granted, and it’s a World Cup game, and we don’t want to get too carried away with that milestone.
“But I know after the game, Sophie and I will sit and reminisce on how far we’ve come, not only as players together throughout this career, but as a team. I just think there’s been so much growth in New Zealand women’s cricket and those younger players coming through. So, yeah, we’ll be really proud. But in the morning, I think we’ll just be trying to get on with the cricket. And it’s something [in] ten years’ time when we’re both not playing, we might have a cup of coffee and think how cool it was to do it in Indore in India.”
Devine’s form a positive
Devine’s run-a-ball 112, her eleventh ODI century, to start the New Zealand campaign was unable to halt the Australia hegemony on Wednesday. Craig McMillan, the assistant coach for New Zealand, was happy with Devine’s performance despite the first loss.
“Well, I think the thing about whenever Sophie Devine’s at the crease, the game is never over,” McMillan said on Friday. “I think Australia felt that as well because she’s so powerful, can hit boundaries, and even though we were needing to go at nine or ten an over… for quite a while we were actually doing that, and she was the key to that. It was a class, a great way to start the tournament, really. She’s really put a stamp on this tournament right from the start, and that’s what you want from your captain, from your leader, and the other girls will follow her.”