An athletic wicket-keeper, Michael Bates was an integral part of the Hampshire team that won the domestic T20 title in 2010. Standing up to the stumps to the likes of Dominic Cork and Chris Wood, he showed great reflexes and impressed one and all. His main challenge remains with the bat. His performance with the willow has been mediocre and performance improvement with the bat remains his first and foremost priority. He had to wait in the wings for long and finally got his chance in the playing eleven only after Nic Pothas retired at the end of 2011 season. His greatest strength is the pull shot. In 2012, he was once again part of Hampshire’s T20 side that won that year’s T20 competition. Bates was also named in the Champions League T20 squad later that year.