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White Ferns enter fitness boot camp as they prepare for blockbuster year ahead

June 12, 2021

Coach Bob Carter believes their fitness needs some serious improvement.

While the Black Caps are chipping away at the English in Birmingham, the White Ferns have been hard at work in a training camp in Lincoln, with a major focus on improving their fitness.

The women's side have a huge year ahead of them, with a home World Cup followed by the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year.

It's the kind of schedule that excites and motivates the likes of star all-rounder Suzie Bates, who made her return to camp after a long layoff with injury.

"In my White Ferns career this is the most exciting 12 months that we've got - with a home World Cup, Commonwealth Games - so when i was at home feeling sorry for myself knowing I had this ahead was really exciting," Bates told 1 NEWS.

The White Ferns are coming off a poor summer, where they were upstaged by the touring English and Australian sides.

This week's camp had a focus on fitness, with coach Bob Carter admitting it was an area of the game his side needed serious improvement.

"We know it'll improve our game and our skills, it has to," Carter said.

The team were tested on the running track, in the nets, on the bike and in the gymnasium, where they took to the springboard floors and mats, to help with mobility and agility in the field.

"It's balance and movement," Carter said.

"They have to do a lot in the field now and we've seen in T20 how agile you have to be to reach up and take that catch."

The players were pleased to test out their skills on a few softer surfaces too.

"It gives you a bit of confidence to come in here, do it on softer surfaces and get professional help around diving and how to tuck hands and roll out of things," fast bowler Lea Tahuhu said.

The team is hoping the hard training sessions will improve their on-field results as they head into a blockbuster year of cricket.

"We know the results haven't been what we've wanted," captain Sophie Devine said.

"We're the first to put our hands up and say 'that's not what we want, we want to make sure we keep improving', but we keep going back through and think about how we can get better every day."
 

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