By singing ‘Suzie Q’, one of the Seventies’ leading rock groups- Creedence Clearwater Revival- might have thrown up a subtle key to understand one of Women’s games’ greatest figures today.
The lyrics, “I love the way you talk, I love the way you walk,” speak of the unmistakable beauty of one Suzie Q.
As fans, simply take the lyrics and add an attaching line to it. You’ll create a fitting meaning behind understanding the great Suzie Bates.
“I love the way you bat. I love the way you bowl. I love the way you make Women’s Cricket a treat to the eyes; a joy to behold, O Suzie.”
There are cricketers that walk the long mile in establishing their names in either format of the game. There are cricketers that either score runs, lots of them or strike many wickets, a lot of them in at least one format of the game.
Then there are those like the great Suzie Bates
In an age where greatness can often be found on social media, either in an adulatory Tweet or a timely meme, dripping in subservience whether for a blinder of a T20 knock or a 3-for at a crucial juncture of a game- often in salivating forms- Suzie Bates exemplifies it with a quiet simplicity.
She has taken wickets, collected runs, and done both consistently so for a decade in the top-echelons of international cricket never sporting a grin and seldom complaining of the rigours she’s coped with.
And that’s not all.
She has done that in all formats of the game barring Tests that she’s not played.
An all-round ODI great
One’s only left with the possibility of imagining what might have been her impact in five-dayers if this Kiwi- with nearly 8000 international runs-would’ve contested in five-dayers?
At 31, with several years ahead of her, she has not only captained the White Ferns, established leading names in their attacking line-up; all of whom look up to her and constructed a legacy that is both worthy of respect in both- times of despair as well as doubt.
Her’s is a career that can function like a healing balm during times of duress, boasting of numbers that can inspire not only the great Suzie Bates but also her teammates during times where inspiration is sought.
At a time where greats like Meg Lanning, Mithali Raj, Stafanie Taylor, and Mignon Du Preez have collected in ODI cricket, 3000 runs with 11 tons, 4200 runs with 5 tons, 6400 runs with 6 tons, and 2900 runs with 2 tons, respectively, Bates stands on a peak of all-round marksmanship that is worthy of salutation.
Not only has this monument of stoicism collected 4200 ODI striking 10 tons but has gone on to plunder nearly 2800 T20 runs along with 123 wickets from both formats.
A young Bates arrived in the New Zealand set-up where Rolls, Fahey, Tiffen and Drumm were the big-strikers of the cricket ball. That was 2006.
A decade hence and just a quarter of a year ago, as Bates exulted, her arms stretched out, soaking worthy applause for having guided the White Ferns to a tally of 490- the highest team total in all ODI cricket (men’s included)- she was batting alongside Maddy Green, one of the youngsters in the side.
Plundering Ireland
Bates might have been a perplexed newcomer who had arrived at a time where the White Ferns weren’t as dominant as the Australians, who, to this day, continue to roll over anyone coming in way of their juggernaut.
But it could be said, there’s this ubiquity about Bates that makes her an irreplaceable facet for a New Zealand that appears like the Fantastic Four when Bates is made to stand beside the likes of Lea Tahuhu, Amy Satterthwaite, and Sophie Devine. You only take New Zealand lightly at your own peril.
Of the 490 made by the White Ferns, Bates produced a wild inning; her 155 came off 94 balls. In that grizzly effort, she’s smashed 24 boundaries.
There’s little wonder why the beer in any of the Irish pubs that evening in all of Dublin would’ve tasted so pungent. When Bates, who’s struck 801 boundaries so far in her international career, struck that dominant century against Ireland, she removed them from the popping crease and with it, the lager from the beer mug.
There was no enjoyment that day in Dublin.
Cricket headlines, soon after would hail the White Ferns. But implicit in their staggering show was the effort of this ever-smiling contestant, who probably was bereft of the smooth fern-like touch that day having turned into a stingy cactus.
Earlier this year, Bates welcomed one of her great contemporaries, Stafanie Taylor to New Zealand and sent her side back after destroying the current T20 world champions in both ODIs and T20s.
Together with Devine, Kasperek and others, Bates whitewashed the Windies. Later this year, she’d have an off series against England, the only other challenging outfit that can, purely on skill and consistency, match New Zealand.
But above anything else, Suzie Bates has risen as the standard-bearer of Kiwi consistency. She’s ensured that her triumphs do not weigh her teammates down, but lift them further up to represent a collective that’s unique in its exhibition of grace and a penchant for dismissing theatrics.
What lies ahead for Suzie Bates?
Probably by 34, the great Suzie Bates would have further collected 5 more ODI tons. Probably her ODI wickets tally may soar to approach the 150th scalp.
And probably nothing of that sort might occur.
But for a determined athlete, who’s displayed feats of heroism, played 4 World T20s, including striking 183 runs in 2014 edition, appeared in 216 games for her side, and never frowned despite carrying twin responsibilities, she’d be mighty pleased having reached the peaks she has at such a young age, especially with there being world-class opponents attacking her.
At the same time, you cannot help but wonder about the sights she might have set herself to achieve, never for individual glory, but always for her White Ferns.