The Strikers arrived in Wagga on Thursday ahead of their top of the table matches against Sydney Thunder at Robertson Oval.

Adelaide moved into second position on the WBBL ladder this week after proving too good for Perth Scorchers in a double header in Alice Springs last weekend.

Bates, a New Zealand international, has been in good touch this season and sits fourth on the WBBL03 run scorers list.

The talented all-rounder admits the Thunder shape as formidable opponents but has backed the Strikers bowlers to perform against any line up.

“I think with the Thunder, they’ve got a lot of depth and I know they’ve got some really good players but it’s just really for us to stick to our game plan, it’s been working so far,” Bates said.

“If we can do the job with the bat against any side, we’ve got a really good bowling line up.”

Bates will arrive in Wagga in form.

She battled dehydration in the hot Alice Springs conditions to smash an unbeaten 49 off 47 balls and get Adelaide home in the first of the matches against Perth. 

She hit 27 and took 2-6 in the second win.

“I recovered pretty well,” she said.

“It was pretty hot up there but I think just being out there for the whole innings, I felt the heat but I was fine after I got into the ice and rehydrated. The next day I pulled up fine.”

Bates was happy to come away with the two wins against the Scorchers.

“It was really pleasing, I guess, to get the two wins in some tough conditions and happy going into the last four games that we’ve got some wins under our belt,” she said.

The weekend in Wagga will have a big baring on the top four, heading into the final matches of the regular season.

Only four points separates the top six teams so Bates is fully aware of the importance of this weekend for the second-placed Strikers.

“It looks like it’s pretty clogged in there and we’ve got a tough end to the tournament with the Thunder and Sixers, who are generally at the top of the table so I don’t think we can guarantee anything,” she said.

“We know we’re in a good position and we have to get as many wins as we can.”

Bates says the Strikers are heading into the business end of the season with confidence.

“We got off to a good start and then had a few losses in a row but we were able to turn that around,” she said.

“I think the game here at Adelaide Oval where Tabby Saville managed to get across the line when perhaps we shouldn’t have really gave us the confidence going into those Perth games.

“That game here was massive for us and now we’ve got a bit of momentum so against some tough sides, I think that’s really helped.”