Focus on spin as Satterthwaite readies for captaincy debut

The big change in the team, of course, is that they have a new captain. The talismanic Suzie Bates has stepped down and premier all-rounder Amy Satterthwaite is now in charge.

Satterthwaite, 31, will start her captaincy stint with a series of three Twenty20 Internationals in Australia, to be played on 29 September (Sydney), 1 October (Brisbane) and 5 October (Canberra). The 13-member squad for the tour has a neat mix of experienced and raw players as well as a varied bowling attack, with a number of medium pacers and spinners.

Satterthwaite herself is a competent off-spinner with 43 wickets in one-day internationals and 23 in T20Is. The squad has three other offies in Maddy Green, Leigh Kasperek and Jess Watkin, plus a leg-spinner in Amelia Kerr.

The series in Australia should serve as preparation for the marquee event, to be played in the Caribbean in November, and the increased number of spinners is with an eye on the conditions there.

In fact, Anna Peterson, another off-spinner, will be added to the party for that tour, where the squad number will rise to 15.

“We are blessed with a group of versatile cricketers and know that spin should play a large part in the Caribbean, especially with the slower nature of the pitches over there,” said coach Haidee Tiffen.

That, however, won’t diminish New Zealand’s pace department. Lea Tahuhu is there, as are Sophie Devine, Kate Ebrahim, Holly Huddleston and Hayley Jensen, and Hannah Rowe will also come in for the tour of the West Indies.

And the build-up to the tour of Australia has been satisfactory too.

“We had an excellent four days at Lincoln last week where we combined skill work with three highly competitive practice matches,” said Tiffen. “We learnt more about our players at camp, and with two of the practice matches going down to the final ball we were able to see how players reacted in different pressure situations.”

As for the change in leadership so close to a big event, Tiffen isn’t unduly worried.

“Amy is a highly experienced cricketer with over 200 international matches under her belt. She has taken the captaincy in her stride and as a team we are looking forward to getting stuck into some competitive cricket against the old foe Australia,” Tiffen said.

Squad for Australia T20Is: Suzie Bates, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Sophie Devine, Kate Ebrahim, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Katey Martin, Amy Satterthwaite (c), Lea Tahuhu, Jess Watkin

**Squad for ICC WWT20:**Suzie Bates, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Sophie Devine, Kate Ebrahim, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek. Amelia Kerr, Katey Martin, Anna Peterson, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite (c), Lea Tahuhu, Jess Watkin