Samantha "Sam" Lee Bates (born 17 August 1992) is an Australian cricketer who plays as a spin bowler for the Sydney Thunder and Victoria. Bates grew up in Newcastle and started playing cricket in the local boys' competition at age 10. Originally a fast bowler, she was encouraged to take up spin after requiring a knee reconstruction due to a soccer training accident when she was 16. After re-signing with the Thunder in October 2017 for two more seasons, Bates took 16 WBBL|03 wickets at an economy rate of 5.88 and was named in the ACA's All-Star Team of the Year.