Hobart Sign NZ's Suzie Bates as Replacement for WBBL Season

The Hobart Hurricanes have signed senior New Zealand batter Suzie Bates as an overseas replacement player for the upcoming Women's Big Bash League season.

Previously, Bates showcased her talents for the Adelaide Strikers, Sydney Sixers, and Perth Scorchers in earlier WBBL seasons. Although she was not selected in the recent draft, the Hurricanes brought her on board after England players became unavailable for the tournament's conclusion due to their upcoming tour of South Africa.

Bates, the leading run-scorer in T20 internationals, will step in for Danni Wyatt-Hodge for the latter stages of the competition. While Wyatt-Hodge and Chloe Tryon were drafted by the Hurricanes, they also retained Lizelle Lee.

Salliann Beams, the General Manager of High Performance at the Hurricanes, expressed the team’s excitement about bringing Bates on board, stating, "As soon as we saw Suzie was not picked in the WBBL|10 Draft, it made sense to sign her. She’s the ideal replacement for Danni once we confirmed her availability."

"With over 130 matches in World T20 cricket, she brings invaluable experience to our team, especially when we lose a player of Danni's calibre," Beams added.