Suzie Bates joins Sydney Sixers for WBBL|08

image-l829o3zzSuzie Bates (PC: Twitter)

New Zealand Women's team all-rounder Suzie Bates has signed with Sydney Sixers for this year's Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).

Sydney Sixers on Thursday (September 15) confirmed that the veteran New Zealand cricketer has been signed up ahead of the upcoming edition of the WBBL.

In her WBBL career, Bates has played a total of 71 WBBL matches in which she has scored 1738 runs with the bat and also scalped 35 wickets with the ball. The Sixers will be her third team in the tournament. Before joining Sixers, Bates has represented Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers.

Bates, who has represented New Zealand in a total of 273 white ball matches, is excited about the prospect of helping the Sixers squad re-establish itself as one of the most formidable teams in the competition.

Bates excited to play alongside Healy and Perry

“It will be nice [to play alongside Healy and Perry] because I’m a bit sick of playing against them! Healy scored a lot of runs - and a few hundreds - against the Strikers in the past, so it will be nice to be down the other end and watch those two go about their business.

“They have a star-studded line-up, and I can’t wait to be part of that squad. They’ve been one of the most successful club’s in WBBL history... but I think they’d be the first to admit that in recent times they haven’t done as well as they’d like. I can’t wait to be part of a team that wants to make finals and wants to win Championships."

Newly appointed Sydney Sixers coach Charlotte Edwards said the Kiwi superstar was a ‘must have’ player because she possesses traits that make her invaluable.

“Suzie (Bates) is a great team person. Any team is certainly stronger with her in it and we’re very lucky at the Sixers to have her. She’s an important signing for us as a group with what she brings on and off the field. In terms of ‘onfield’ we identified an opening batter as a position we needed going into WBBL|08 – and Suzie is world-leading in that position."

Sydney Sixers WBBL|08 Updated Squad: Ellyse Perry (C), Jade Allen, Suzie Bates, Nicole Bolton, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Sophie Ecclestone, Ash Gardner, Ange Genford, Alyssa Healy

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