Sophie Devine is a New Zealand sportswoman, who has internationally represented New Zealand in both cricket and field hockey as part of White Ferns (New Zealand national women’s cricket team) and Black Sticks Women (New Zealand women’s national field hockey team). She holds the record of the women’s T20 record for the fastest century, which she scored in 36 balls for Wellington Blaze against Otago Sparks during the 2020–21 Super Smash.
Wiki/Biography
Sophie Frances Monique Devine was born on Friday, 1 September 1989 (age 33 years; as of 2022) in Kenepuru hospital, Porirua, New Zealand. Her zodiac sign is Virgo.
Childhood picture of Sophie Devine with her sister
She grew up in Tawa, a northern suburb of Wellington playing multiple sports, everything from cricket, hockey, basketball, soccer, and netball. She joined a local club in Tawa when she was five. She represented the boys’ premier hockey team for the Tawa club. She spent her childhood playing cricket with her sports enthusiast father and brother. In an interview, while talking about her upbringing, she said,
I had family that loved sport as much as I did, we’d spend hours in the front yard, till the sun went down, playing all kinds of sports.”
She did her schooling at Greenacres School and Tawa College in Wellington. At Tawa College, she played cricket mainly in the boys’ teams, including representative Wellington age group teams and the Tawa College boys’ first 11. During her last year at Tawa College, she was awarded the bowling ‘wicket’ for the most wickets in the season. In 2006, she shifted to Christchurch with her family when her father was relocated for his work. There, she attended Rangi Ruru Girls’ School for her final high school year and then enrolled in the University of Canterbury. where she pursued a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology. Her sporting career flourished when she reached university, she oscillated between seasons with hockey and cricket, both at the national level.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
Hair Colour: Blonde
Eye Colour: Hazel Blue
Family
Parents & Siblings
Her father’s name is Peter Devine, and her mother’s name is Penny Devine. She has two sisters, Jen and Kate, and a brother Sam.
Sophie Devine with family at her younger sister’s wedding
Husband
She is unmarried.
Career
Hockey
She has played 36 tests for the Black Sticks women’s hockey side. She was picked for the 2011 Women’s Hockey Champions Trophy in Amstelveen, Netherlands. New Zealand secured third place in the champions trophy. She established herself in the subsequent series against the US and Australia. Eventually, she quit hockey when she missed out on selection for the Black Sticks Olympic team. She played her last hockey international for the Black Sticks in 2012. A year later, she was awarded the NZC development contracts following which she decided to pursue cricket full-time. In an interview, while talking about the same she said,
I trained for the London Olympics, but missed out on the final squad. Around that time the first set of contracts came out for New Zealand cricket and it was too good to give up. That was definitely a reason to focus on cricket.”
Sophie Devine on the attack in the Black Sticks’ match against Japan in Auckland
Cricket
Domestic
She was selected for the Wellington Blaze when she was 14.
Sophie during her first game for the Wellington Blaze at the age of 14
In 2003, she made her List A debut for Wellington Women. After shifting to Christchurch, she started representing Canterbury Women (2007/08). Apart from that, she has played for South Australia Women (2014/15-2017/18), Warwickshire Women (2017-2018), and Western Australia Women (2018/19-2019/20). In 2021–22 Super Smash, she recorded the fastest-ever women’s T20 century off just 36 balls for the Wellington Blaze. Wellington Blaze won the tournament after defeating Otago Sparks in the final, winning their 7th title.
Sophie Devine posing with her Super Smash trophy in 2021
International
Devine was first selected for the White Ferns at the age of 17. On 18 October 2006, she made her T20I debut against Australia Women at Allan Border Field, Brisbane during the New Zealand Women tour of Australia. The match was a tie. On 22 October 2006, she made her ODI debut against Australia Women at Allan Border Field, Brisbane during the New Zealand Women tour of Australia. Australia won the match by 1 wicket. She was one of the highest wicket-taker of the 2016 ICC Women’s World Twenty20. During the group stage, she earned the title of Player of the match while playing against South Africa. In the semi-final match against West Indies, she took 4 for 22 runs in 4 overs. On 4 April 2016, ICC named her to the team of the tournament. She blasted 93 from 41 balls against Pakistan during the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup. She hit nine sixes in her innings of 93, the most by a woman in a WODI.
Sophie Devine in action with the bat during the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup in a match against Pakistan in which she hit nine sixes in her innings of 93
She carved her name into New Zealand cricket history when she claimed the ODI and T20 women’s Player of the Year awards for the 2017/18 season. In October 2018, she was named to New Zealand’s squad for the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 held in the West Indies. Devine took over the captainship of the New Zealand women’s cricket team from Amy Satterthwaite when Amy went on maternity leave. In the 2019-20 season, Devine had a blockbuster year with the bat. During the South Africa Women tour of New Zealand, Devine smashed her maiden T20I century on 10 February 2020 in the fourth WT20I match against South Africa at the Basin Reserve, becoming the first cricketer (male or female) to score five consecutive 50-plus scores in T20 internationals. In January 2020, Devine was named the captain of New Zealand’s squad for the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia. In New Zealand’s first match of the world cup, against Sri Lanka, Devine became the first cricketer, male or female, to make six consecutive scores of fifty or more in T20I cricket. She made the second-highest-ever New Zealand women’s T20 score of 105 in the match. She is the recipient of ANZ International Women’s T20 Player of the Year at the annual New Zealand Cricket awards (2019). Devine was nominated for the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade award in November 2020. She was appointed as the captain of the New Zealand women’s cricket team on a full-time basis by July 2020. Devine played in her 100th WT20I in September 2021 in the second match against England. She is the third New Zealand women’s cricketer after Amy Satterthwaite and Suzie Bates to play 100 T20Is. New Zealand Women won a bronze medal at the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She took her 100th wicket in WT20Is on 30 July 2022 during the games in a match against South Africa.
Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL)
In the inaugural season of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), she was named to the Adelaide Strikers team. Thereafter, she represented Adelaide Strikers in WBBL|02, WBBL|03, WBBL|04, and WBBL|05. She earned the title of Player of the series during WBBL|05, scoring the most runs, 769, in the series. On 8 December 2019, Brisbane Heat won the series, defeating first-time finalist Adelaide Strikers by six wickets in the championship decider.
Sophie Devine playing for Adelaide Strikers
For WBBL|07, she became a part of Perth Scorchers, who defeated the Adelaide Strikers by 12 runs in the championship decider.
Sophie Devine, pictured here in action for Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL)
Women’s Cricket Super League (WCSL) or Kia Super League (KSL)
In the first season of the Women’s Cricket Super League (WCSL), she was named to the Loughborough Lightning team. For the Kia Super League 2017, she was named to the Yorkshire Diamonds squad. She again represented Loughborough Lightning during the 2018 WCSL in which she was the second-highest wicket-taker.
Sophie Devine bowling for Loughborough Lightning
Women’s T20 Challenge
For the 2019 Women’s T20 Challenge, she was a part of the IPL Supernovas team, which won the title by beating IPL Velocity in the final by 4 wickets.
Sophie Devine with her team IPL Supernovas after winning the 2019 Women’s T20 Challenge
The Hundred
In 2022, she represented the franchise team Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred cricket league.
Sophie Devine playing for Birmingham Phoenix
FairBreak Invitational T20
In the 2022 FairBreak Invitational T20, she played for the Tornadoes, who beat Falcons in the final by 8 wickets.
Women’s Premier League (WPL)
In the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League in 2023, Devine was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the price of 50 Lakhs.
Records
- On 11 July 2015, Devine recorded the fastest Twenty20 half-century (from 18 balls) for the international record (women), and the fastest 70 runs (from 22 balls); meanwhile, she scored 32 off one over in the first match against India.
- Devine became the first woman to hit nine sixes in WODI cricket during a match against Pakistan at the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
- She became the first player, male or female, to score the fifties in 6 consecutive T20Is in 2020.
- In January 2021, she recorded the fastest T20 century for women by scoring 100 in 36 balls for Wellington Blaze against Otago Sparks in the 2020–21 Super Smash.
Facts/Trivia
- She is a type 1 diabetic. Sophie was only 15 when she was diagnosed with the auto-immune condition.
- Prior to her cricketing career, she also represented New Zealand in hockey.
- She is also fond of rugby and played for Petone ponies, the women’s team of Petone Rugby Club. Apart from that, she also likes Yoga and golf.
- While talking about her cricket superstitions in an interview, she said,
Not really superstitions just always have to put my left shoe, pad, glove on first!”
- Her habit of not wearing a helmet when batting, a rarity in 21st-century cricket, has earned her immense recognition. In an interview, while talking about it, she said,
Actually, I’ve never really worn a helmet. The only time I can really remember is playing boys’ high school cricket and a few boys were going after me, bowling at around 130-135kph, so I put one on. I back myself to get out of the way. If I get hit, I guess it’s my own fault, and probably people will be saying I’m a bit silly for that. But it’s a comfort thing as well and just something that I’ve always done.”
- She loves to watch other sports, sleep, and travel in her leisure time.
- In an interview, while talking about her hidden talents, she said,
I can do the old farm whistle with the fingers in the mouth!”
- Her batting style is right-hand bat and her bowling style is right-arm medium pace.
- Her jersey number for New Zealand is #77.
- She has a racket ball tattoo inked on her right elbow.
Sophie Devine’s racketball tattoo
- In 2021–22 Super Smash, when she recorded the fastest-ever women’s T20 century off just 36 balls for the Wellington Blaze, one of the sixes she hit into the bank hit a kid watching the match. The kid was fine but Devine went to spend time with her on the bank at the end of the match.
🧢 📸 A hat and a snap.
All class from @sophdevine77 post-match. She went and sat with the fan who was hit during her innings.
Reports say the kid is doing well 🏏#SuperSmashNZ #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/26SMPM5tU8
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) January 14, 2021
- Brett Lee, Nathan Astle, and Stephen Fleming are her favourite cricketers. Apart from that, her favourite sporting hero is Roger Federer, a Swiss tennis player.
- While talking about her favourite shot in an interview, she said,
Probably a big, dirty slog over cow corner, but I’ll probably get told off! Maybe a more correct shot, a nice straight drive. Usually in the air but if it goes along the ground I’ll be happy with that.”
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education