New Zealand’s 2022 World Cup campaign may not have gone as planned, but Bates delivered a reminder of her enduring class on home soil.
Her 126 not only marked her 12th ODI century but also saw her become the first New Zealand batter, and fourth overall, to cross 5,000 ODI runs.
It was a commanding innings built around her strength on the leg side, with sweeps, pulls, and flicks accounting for 90 of her runs. Scoring at a strike rate of 93.33, she stitched together crucial half-century partnerships with Melie Kerr and Brooke Halliday.
There were moments of fortune too, including a narrow DRS escape on 17, but Bates made it count. Starting fluently with a 54-ball fifty, she later adapted her tempo after quick wickets, anchoring the innings with maturity.
Her century came up with a pull behind square,a fitting shot for an innings built on control and authority. New Zealand went on to win by 71 runs, as they conveyed a heartfelt thanks to the Hagley Oval crowd.