Suzie Bates: An era-defining legacy in numbers

The defeat to England at the Women's T20 World Cup of 2026 brought the curtains down on Suzie Bates' ground-breaking 20-year international career, one in which she represented New Zealand 370 times across both WODIs and WT20Is, making her the second-most capped female international in history. She is the all-time leading run-scorer in Women's T20 Internationals as well as the second-highest run-getter across all formats of Women's Cricket.

A look at all the key numbers from Bates's impressive international career...

One-Day Internationals

Bates debuted in ODI in 2006 against India. She has had the third-longest (20y 73d) career in Women's ODIs, behind only Mithali Raj (22y 274d) and Jhulan Goswami (20y 261d).

Bates in ODIs

5982runs in 184 matches by Suzie Bates are the fourth-most in Women's ODIs, after Mithali, Stafanie Taylor, and Charlotte Edwards. Bates has 13 hundreds in this format - tied with Laura Wolvaardt and only behind Meg Lanning (15) and Smriti Mandhana (14). Bates' strike-rate of 79.42 in ODIs is the second-highest among the six batters with a minimum of 5000 runs in Women's ODIs, after Mandhana's 90.36.

Most runs in Women's ODIs

3Bates is one of the only three players with a double of 5000-plus runs and 50-plus wickets (83) in Women's ODIs. Stafanie Taylor (6132 & 157) and Charlotte Edwards (5992 & 54) are the others to have achieved this feat.

168 Bates' highest score came against Pakistan in a World Cup match in Sydney in 2009. It is the third-highest individual ODI score by a White Ferns batter after Amelia Kerr's 232* vs Ireland and 179* vs South Africa.

Bates excelled in ODIs, whether setting a target or chasing one, maintaining impressive averages and strike rates in both scenarios.

Bates by innings numbers in ODIs

32 Bates has been involved in 32 hundred partnerships in Women's ODIs - the most by any batter, followed by Wolvaardt (31). She added nine hundred stands with Amy Satterthwaite, the same number as the Meg Lanning - Ellyse Perry combination, and only behind Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley (10).

2425 She aggregated 2425 partnership runs with Satterthwaite at an outstanding average of 49.48 - the most by any White Ferns pair in ODIs. Bates also put on a 262 runs stand with Haidee Tiffen for the second wicket against Pakistan at Sydney in the 2009 World Cup, which is the second-highest stand for New Zealand for any wicket in WODIs.

2880 -Bates' 2880 runs in New Zealand are also the most by a player in a single country in Women's ODI, followed by Mithali Raj's 2833 in India. She also scored 843 runs at Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln, which are the most any Women batter at a single venue in ODIs.

94 Bates holds the record for the most catches by a non-wicketkeeper in Women's ODIs, well ahead of Stafanie Taylor (71). Only other White Ferns player with 50-plus ODI catches is Amy Satterthwaite (57).

T20 Internationals

Bates dominated the shortest format of the game. She bows out with 186 T20Is, 4758 runs, a century, 28 fifties, and 62 wickets. She is still Women's T20I cricket's leading run-scorer. She is the second-most capped player in T20Is after Harmanpreet Kaur (201). Her unbeaten 124 against South Africa remains New Zealand's highest individual Women's T20I score.

18y 321d At the time of retirement, Bates had the second-longest career span in Women's T20Is, behind her teammate Sophie Devine (19y 252d), and closely followed by Shabnim Ismail (18y 319d).

4758 Bates is the leading run-getter in T20Is (in men's or women's cricket), and she is one of the three Women's batters with 4000-plus runs in this format, along with India's Mandhana (4500) and Harmanpreet Kaur (4160).

Most runs in Women's T20Is

29 Bates has gone past 50 29 times in T20Is, which is the third-most 50-plus scores by a batter in this format after Mandhana (38) and Beth Mooney (31). Among White Ferns, Sophie Devine is second on the list with 25.

3She was the first and one of three New Zealand batters with a century in this format, alongside Amelia Kerr (2) and Devine. Her 124* runs against South Africa in 2018 is the fifth-highest individual score by a Women's batter from a full-member team in T20I.

3 Bates is the third fastest to 3000 T20I runs in terms of innings taken (105), behind Beth Mooney (100) and Stafanie Taylor (103).

Like her ODI record, Bates' T20I numbers declined as her career progressed. In this decade, she scored just seven 50-plus scores in 69 innings.

Bates in T20Is

1 Bates is one of the only eight players with a double of 3000-plus runs and 50-plus wickets (62) in Women's T20Is, and the only women's player with 4000-plus T20I runs and 50 wickets in this format.

1108 runs scored by Bates against Australia are the most by a single batter against the multi-time champions. Bates is also the only woman with 1000-plus runs against a particular opponent in T20Is. Australian Lanning's 987 runs against England are second on the list in this regard.

1395 runs Bates scored in New Zealand are the third-most in a single country in Women's T20Is after Danni Wyatt-Hodge's 1707 in England, and Mooney's 1650 in Australia.

1003 runs for Suzie Bates on England soil - the first and only batter to score 1000-plus runs in a visiting country in Women's T20Is. She is also the only New Zealand batter with 500-plus T20I runs in a single calendar year (670 in 2018).

98 Bates holds the record for the most catches by a non-wicketkeeper in Women's T20Is, well ahead of India's Harmanpreet Kaur (77). Only other White Ferns player with 50-plus T20I catches is Amelia Kerr (52).

Highest partnership aggregates in Women's T20Is

182 runs Bates added with Devine for the opening wicket against South Africa at Taunton in 2018, which is the second-highest stand for any wicket in T20Is after 183 runs added by Sune Luus and Laura Wolvaardt against India at Johannesburg in April 2026.

Bates - a World Cup Champion

ODI World Cup

1219 runs scored by Bates in the Women's ODI World Cup are the the second-most for New Zealand, after Debbie Hockley's 1501 (most by any batter). Overall, she is the sixth leading run-getter in tournament history.

4Bates hit four hundreds in ODI World Cups - the joint second-most, alongside Janette Brittin, Charlotte Edwards, and Alyssa Healy, and only behind Nat Sciver-Brunt (5).

19dismissals Bates effected on the field in ODI World Cups are the joint-most by a non-wicketkeeper Women's player alongside England's Janette Brittin.

T20 World Cup

45 Bates played in 45 T20 World Cup matches across 10 editions, which is the second-most after Perry (51). Among White Ferns players, Devine is second on the list with 42 matches. In 2024, Bates was the oldest to feature in a Women's T20 World Cup final.

1254runs scored by Suzie Bates at an average of 31.35 (SR: 111.96) in the T20 World Cups are the most by any woman. She is also one of just three batters with 1000-plus runs in this tournament, along with Stafanie Taylor (1104) and Alyssa Healy (1008).

8Bates smashed eight 50-plus scores in T20 World Cups, which is also the most by a batter in tournament history. She hit 136 fours, again the most by a batter in T20 World Cups.

28 dismissals Bates effected in T20 World Cups - the most by a non-wicketkeeper player. Sophie Devine ranked second with 19 dismissals in competitions.

7Bates won seven Player of the Match awards in the T20 World Cup - the most by anyone in tournament history, followed by Charlotte Edwards, Healy, and Stafanie Taylor with seven each.

Across formats

- Bates became the first woman in cricket history to play 350 international matches (she didn't play any Test), reaching the milestone in October 2025. India's Harmanpreet Kaur and Australia's Ellyse Perry also joined the exclusive 350-plus international match club.

- Bates (10740 runs) is one of four women to have scored more than 10000 international runs, and is only behind Mithali Raj (10868). Her 14 centuries across formats is the joint-second most by any women's cricketer.

Most runs in Women's Internationals

- Bates was appointed White Ferns captain in 2011, leading New Zealand Women in over 150 international matches. She played in all 10 T20 World Cups, five ODI World Cups, and was part of New Zealand's victorious 2024 Women's T20 World Cup squad.

- Bates was named ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2013 and swept both the ODI and T20I awards in 2016 (first female player to do so in the same calendar year).