Adelaide: Three months after New Zealand cricket great Amy Satterthwaite announced her retirement from international cricket after being informed by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) that she would not receive a central contract for the 2022/23 season, the former all-rounder has signed on with the Adelaide Strikers as assistant coach for the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) campaign.
The batting all-rounder is a former captain and vice-captain of the White Ferns and is one of the world’s most experienced players. Satterthwaite retired from international cricket in late May after a stellar 15-year career at the highest level. She is New Zealand’s most capped women’s ODI player with 145 matches and has more than 6,000 runs and 76 international wickets to her name.
The ICC s Women’s ODI Player of the Year in 2017, Satterthwaite memorably struck four consecutive ODI centuries in the summer of 2016-17, the only female player to achieve the feat, according to adelaidestrikers.com.au.
Satterthwaite has been a force in the WBBL since its inception, first with the Hobart Hurricanes and then as captain of the Melbourne Renegades. She scored almost 1,500 runs and claimed 44 wickets in her WBBL playing career, including a memorable hat-trick for the Hurricanes in WBBL-2. The all-rounder was also voted Player of the Tournament in WBBL-3 in her first season with the Renegades.
The 35-year-old recently represented Manchester Originals in The Hundred but holds a passion for coaching and works in a mentoring role with Canterbury back in native New Zealand.
Satterthwaite said she was excited to join Adelaide’s coaching panel for the upcoming WBBL season. “The WBBL is such a quality competition, and one that I have been fortunate to play in over the years. I absolutely loved my time on field playing with and against some of the best in the world, and I know the standard of the local talent is extremely high,” Satterthwaite said.
“I have always had a great respect for the Adelaide Strikers; they have always been a competitive franchise and the squad looks strong again this season after a brilliant performance last year.
“Hopefully I can bring a fresh perspective to the coaching group and lean on my experience to help the team go that next step this summer.”
The Strikers’ WBBL-8 campaign begins against the Sydney Sixers in Mackay on October 15.
–IANS