Suzie Bates believes the White Ferns are due to snap their losing streak against the world champion Australians
It's our turn: New Zealand eye Australian upset
Suzie Bates believes New Zealand are due to "get one up on Australia" as they aim to snap a lengthy drought in their upcoming trans-Tasman limited-overs contest.
The White Ferns have not beaten the world No.1 Australians in any format since early 2017, and they have not held the Rose Bowl Trophy – the silverware awarded for one-day series between the teams – since 1999.
Since their victory in the opening match of the 2017 ODI series in Auckland, they have lost six ODIs and five T20Is, despite coming agonisingly close on several occasions.
In February last year, the White Ferns were seemingly cruising towards Australia's total of 241 at 4-188, but lost another five wickets and fell five runs short of their target.
In what was essentially a quarter-final during the group stage of the T20 World Cup in March, with the winner to advance to the tournament finals, New Zealand again stumbled, losing the nail-biting contest by four runs.
"They’re the current World Champions, that (tournament) was the last time any women played international cricket," Bates said from Brisbane, where the New Zealand squad are undertaking two weeks of hotel quarantine ahead of the first T20 on September 26.
"But if we think back to that World Cup where we lost to them by four runs and played some of our best cricket, if we turn up this is going to be a really competitive series.
"We’re just really desperate to get those wins.
"We've been really close the last two years, the 50-over series in Australia and the World Cup, so it's our turn to get one up on them."
Australia claimed their fifth T20 World Cup in front of 86,174 people at the MCG on March 8, while they are currently on an 18-game winning streak in ODIs.
However, New Zealand boast some of the world's best players including Bates, the all-time leading run scorer in women’s T20Is, the world's top-ranked T20 allrounder Sophie Devine, and leg-spin prodigy Amelia Kerr.
They will also be bolstered by the return of former captain Amy Satterthwaite, who missed the T20 World Cup while on maternity leave following the birth of her first child with wife and teammate Lea Tahuhu.
Baby Grace has joined the pair in the Brisbane hub, where all six matches will be played in a bio-secure environment.
The New Zealand squad is permitted a two-hour window each day to train under strict arrangements that allow controlled access to outdoor training nets at Allan Border Field.
Once released from quarantine on September 23, they will play the Australians in a warm-up match at Allan Border Field the following day.
One priority for their lengthy preparation period will be readying themselves to face Australia’s strong spin brigade, including left-armers Jess Jonassen and Sophie Molineux, off-spinners Ashleigh Gardner and Erin Burns, and leg-spinner Georgia Wareham.
"It’s a good chance for us to get some really good plans together for Australia, get our bowling plans right, and work on our batting against spin," Bates said.
"I think we’re going to face a lot of spin.
"Everyone is really fizzed after six months off, everyone's trained really hard in the winter.
"I think it's the best I’ve seen our team train as a squad."
CommBank T20I and ODI series
Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry*, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Belinda Vakarewa *subject to fitness
New Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Natalie Dodd, Deanna Doughty, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jenson, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu, Jess Watkin
All matches to be played at Brisbane's Allan Border Field, times TBC
September 26: First T20
September 27: Second T20
September 30: Third T20
October 3: First ODI
October 5: Second ODI
October 7: Third ODI