Eng-W vs NZ-W 4th T20I Old Trafford — Suzie Bates' Anchor 59 in NZ's Series Lifeline

At 36, Suzie Bates has played more women's T20Is than anyone in cricket. She has slowed down a touch with the bat, opted out of the T20I captaincy two years ago, and become the team's elder presence rather than its main batter. At Old Trafford on May 20 she walked out, faced 47 balls of pace and seam, and made 59 in the kind of innings that wins close series. New Zealand won the fourth T20I by 14 runs and the series stands 2-2. Bates' knock is the reason the decider exists.

Phase one: the Old Trafford surface

Old Trafford in mid-May is a seam-and-bounce surface. The first three T20Is of the series had been on slower decks at Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, and The Oval. Old Trafford was different: Lauren Bell's first ball moved off the seam past the outside edge, and the bowling average for pace bowlers in T20Is at the venue is 21.7.

Sophie Devine won the toss and chose to bat. The plan was clear from the team meeting: absorb the new ball for six overs, push from over 12 to 17, then unleash in the last three. Suzie Bates' role was the absorber.

The wagon wheel

Bates' 59 covered 47 balls and her shot distribution was unusual for a 21st-century T20 opener. Of the eight boundaries she hit, five came in the V (mid-on to mid-off arc). Two came through cover. One was a pulled six off Linsey Smith over square leg.

What was missing was the leg-side hitting. Bates didn't play a single shot finer than fine leg, and she didn't attempt a scoop or a ramp. The wagon wheel looked like an old-school Test innings: front foot through the V with straight bat, occasional cut, no risk on the back foot.

What the numbers say

The matchup splits tell the story. Against Lauren Bell, the new-ball bowler: 18 off 14 balls, three boundaries through the V. Against Charlie Dean, the off-spinner: 11 off 12 balls, no boundaries, all singles and twos. Against Sarah Glenn, the leg-spinner: 9 off 8 balls, one boundary square of the wicket. Against Sophie Ecclestone: 16 off 10 balls, two boundaries down the ground. Against Lauren Filer, the express pace option: 5 off 3 balls, one boundary.

The dot-ball percentage was 28 — low for an anchor knock. The strike-rate at each milestone was: 20 off 22 balls, 40 off 35 balls, 59 off 47 balls. The acceleration phase came in overs 13 to 17 when she scored 23 off 12 balls against the change bowlers.

The over that changed gears

The 14th over of the New Zealand innings was bowled by Lauren Bell. Bates was on 35 not out off 32 and the score was 95 for 3. She hit four off the first ball — a drive through extra cover. She left the second ball. She hit four off the third — a punch down the ground. She defended the fourth. She hit six off the fifth — a pulled shot over square leg. She left the sixth.

The over went for 14 and the partnership with Maddy Green moved from 38 to 52 in that single over. That was the gear shift. Bates' strike rate from that point was 175. She fell in the 18th over for 59 off 47, caught at long-on trying to clear the rope against Glenn.

What it means for the series

The series is level at 2-2. New Zealand totalled 167 for 7 from 20 overs — a competitive total on a surface that played slightly slower as the dew came in. England chased 153 in 19.4 overs, with Tammy Beaumont making another fifty (52 off 41) but falling to Eden Carson at the death.

Suzie Bates' place in the squad for the World T20 next year is now secure. The selection committee had a quiet question about her after a quiet four T20Is at the start of 2026. Old Trafford answers it. She averages 39.4 in 2026 T20Is at strike rate 124 — the most efficient opener in the women's game outside the Australian top three.

The forward view

The series decider is at Headingley on May 22. The surface there tends to favour spin earlier than Old Trafford. New Zealand will keep Bates and Devine as the opening pair. England's call is whether to drop Lauren Filer and bring back the four-spinner attack — Dean, Ecclestone, Glenn, and Capsey — to neutralise New Zealand's middle order.

What to watch next: how Heather Knight balances the four-spinner approach versus the Lauren Filer pace option at Headingley on May 22.

Related coverage

• the 2026-27 international calendar
• WTC Final cycle
• England Vs Nz Women 1st
• England Vs Nz Women 2nd