The Western Fury have snared the services of New Zealand captain Suzie Bates for the 2012-13 Women’s National Cricket League season.

Bates, a right-handed top order batter and right-arm medium pace bowler, has played 45 one-day and 43 Twenty20 matches for the White Ferns since making her international debut in 2006.

The 24-year-old averages 28.20 in ODIs with two centuries and a highest score of 168, while she has made four half-centuries in T20 internationals.

She has also claimed 36 ODI wickets and 42 T20I scalps.

Bates represented NZ in basketball at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing but shelved plans to participate at the London Olympics after being appointed captain of the White Ferns in 2011.

The Fury, who collected the wooden spoon last summer after notching just one win from six matches, hope the signing of Bates will help lift the team up the table.

“Suzie is the complete cricketer,” New Fury coach Stephen Jenkin said.

“She is a strong girl who bats and bowls exceptionally well, and she is brilliant in the field whether close in or on the boundary.”

Bates is set to play at least four of the six rounds with the Fury, where she will also play in the T20 competition.

“We tend to practice indoors a lot in New Zealand and other than our domestic competition, we don’t get the chance to play a lot of cricket so it will be great to play a few more games this season,” Bates said.