In a rather inspiring and heartwarming instance, a mother has shared a story of how her son was influenced by Suzie Bates’ batting.
The New Zealand all-rounder Bates is known for her stroke-making and hitting after coming down the pitch. In the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season 5, Bates captained Adelaide Strikers and led her team to the final. Her WBBL season was marked by her solid captaincy and consistent contributions for her side.
Adelaide Strikers locked horns with Brisbane Heat in the final of the tournament this year. Although Heat walked away with the trophy, Strikers’ performance was really worth applauding. The tickets of the final game were sold out as supporters and cricket enthusiasts flocked the ground to watch the match. The final was also telecast live on television.
In a beautiful instance of acceptance of women’s cricket, BJ May has shared an inspiring story about how her cricket loving son wanted to emulate Suzie Bates. She shared the note with team Adelaide Strikers. She tells how her 9-year old son after watching the WBBL final, wanted to hit the ball like Bates. He wanted to “skip down the pitch like Suzie Bates”, she writes.
Although they supported Brisbane Heat, she added that her son will never forget Suzie Bates.
Bates took up to Twitter to express her gratitude. “Thank you BJ May for taking the time to write this note and to @StrikersWBBL for passing this on. This is why we play the game we love. @WBBL and all those involved are doing such a fantastic job at promoting CRICKET to all”, she wrote.
Thank you BJ May for taking the time to write this note and to @StrikersWBBL for passing this on.
This is why we play the game we love. @WBBL and all those involved are doing such a fantastic job at promoting CRICKET to all 🙏😊 pic.twitter.com/H30RV8UVQn— Suzie Bates (@SuzieWBates) December 10, 2019
This incident is awe-inspiring and at the same time reinforces the fact that kids don’t see the game as men’s cricket or women’s cricket. Gender-neutral cricket is something which has arrived. And tournaments such as WBBL promote the notion of ‘Cricket for all’ among the cricket-loving community.
