Former New Zealand Women’s captain Amy Satterthwaite has joined the Adelaide Strikers as their assistant coach for the forthcoming Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season.
Notably, Satterthwaite bid farewell to international cricket in May earlier this year. She is White Ferns’ most capped women’s ODI player with 145 matches and has scored 6,423 runs and picked up 76 wickets for her country.
This will be Satterthwaite’s first time as coach of a professional cricket side, though she has served as a mentor to the Canterbury team in the New Zealand domestic circuit. Satterthwaite has been a star at the WBBL as well, having amassed almost 1,500 runs and taken 44 wickets, including a hat-trick for Hobart Hurricanes in the second year of the tournament.
“The WBBL is such a quality competition and one that I have been fortunate to play in over the years. I absolutely loved my time on the field playing with and against some of the best in the world, and I know the standard of the local talent is extremely high,” said Satterthwaite as quoted by Adelaidestrikers.com.au.
“I have always had great respect for the Adelaide Strikers; they have always been a competitive franchise, and the squad looks strong again this season after a brilliant performance last year. Hopefully I can bring a fresh perspective to the coaching group and lean on my experience to help the team go that next step this summer,” she added.
The upcoming eighth season of the WBBL will start on October 13, with the Strikers beginning their campaign two days later against Sydney Sixers in Mackay. On the appointment of Satterthwaite, Strikers Head Coach Luke Williams said the White Ferns cricketer was a welcome addition to the coaching group.
“Amy has achieved so much throughout her playing career, and she brings natural leadership qualities that will be extremely valuable to our team. She has a great cricket mind, knows this competition better than most and will really be able to connect with our players both on and off the field. We can’t wait to welcome her to Adelaide,” said Williams.
