A mixture of young cricketers and seasoned stalwarts have finalised their pre-season preparations and it is all systems go when the women’s domestic season gets underway with the CSA Women’s Provincial One-Day tournament hosted in Johannesburg between 23-28 October.
The 50-over competition will feature the country’s top six teams, including the Imperial Central Gauteng Lions Women, Easterns, Hollywoodbets Kwa-Zulu Natal Coastal, Senwes Dragons Women, Northerns and Six Gun Grill Western Province Women.
The six teams will be hosted in a bio-secure environment near St Stithians College, where all the matches will be played following a 100% negativity rate from the almost 170 PCR tests conducted 48-hours prior to departure and the rapid tests on arrival.
The competition will culminate with playoffs in the new year, where these sides along with the rest of the provincial teams will also compete in the T20 provincial tournament before wrapping up the season with the exciting Women’s Super League in April 2022.
Home Team Gauteng Lions Gear Up
Imperial Central Gauteng Lions women’s team head coach Shaun Pretorius says that with the packed season will come tension and pressure.
“There will be no easy games as we are in the national league, with the last placed team to be relegated – something every team wants to avoid. First up is the Biosecure environment fixtures which will take place in Gauteng at Saint Stithians College from 23 – 28 October 2021”.
“The 50-over format is welcomed and we aim to give of our best, for when teams start to loose, the pressure starts to build. We had very good preparation leading to this BSE with lots of warm up fixtures and also a super team building session at Sun City where our focus was about the team and not the ‘I’, but in the same sense the ‘I’ is also important. We focused on learning to stay calm and to trust your teammate on and off the field. The team building certainly brought everyone closer together with the aim of creating a family away from home”.
On the eve of the new provincial season, CSA Senior Cricket Manager Johan Weyers explained the importance of the Women’s Provincial One-Day tournament getting underway to start the season after the off-season.
“Our focus and objective with this tournament and the Top 6 BSE is to provide access for the women’s players to quality matches, to enhance their performances and make sure that we maintain the quality and competitive cricket at the provincial level,” said Weyers.
“This six-day women’s cricket showcase will also make sure we grow the pool of players that would be available for selection in the high-performance programmes, with the various selectors and coaches also in attendance to identify the talent on display,” he added.
Star Quality on Show
The tournament will not only allow the country’s best domestic players to compete against each other, but it will also provide them with the opportunity to share the dressing room and face-off against some of the Momentum Proteas players.
The experienced all-rounder, Suné Luus will be leading the charge for Northerns, while Tumi Sekhukhune and Ayabonga Khaka will represent the Lions Women. Masabata Klaas and Tazmin Brits make up the Proteas contingent at the Dragons, with the capped trio of Andrie Steyn, Lara Goodall and Sinalo Jafta included in the Western Province outfit.
The Hollywoodbets KZN coastal side also have Momentum Proteas spinning duo of Nondumiso Shangase and Nonkululeko Mlaba as well explosive batter, Chloe Tryon in their ranks.
Proteas Women’s Convenor of Selectors, Clinton du Preez expressed his delight at the prospect of enthralling women’s provincial cricket, particularly after an extended off-season and with players possibly raising their hand for higher honours and selection.
“We are very delighted and excited to have cricket back,” du Preez commented. “It’s good to have the players back and it’s important for the players to come out and represent well. It’s been a while since they’ve played competitive cricket.
“As a selection panel, we are very excited.” – Proteas Women’s Convenor of Selectors, Clinton du Preez
“We are looking forward to quality cricket. The brand we are looking to play has to compliment what the national team requires and there’s a lot of opportunity for all players at the moment, to really come to the fore and stake claim for positions this week,”
“Looking at the makeup of the teams, we have a good crop of players, a mixture of young and experienced players, they are really going to add value to a national week like this. I also do believe that the national players that are still in the country and participating, they need to come and show their potential and dominate within these games,” the convenor added.
“We trust that the results are going to showcase the individual talents that will allow the players to stake a claim for those strategic positions within the national team,” he concluded.
All teams will play each other once over the five days at St Stithians College. Below are Day One’s fixtures:
Saturday, 23 October 2021 from 10h00:
Easterns vs Imperial Central Gauteng Lions
Hollywoodbets Kwa-Zulu Natal Coastal vs Senwes Dragons Women
Six Gun Grill Western Province Women vs Northerns
CSA Women’s Provincial One-Day Top 6:
Easterns:
Verunissa Reddy
Bernadette Greeff
Madison Landsman
Lerato Langa
Tsholofelo Marema
Payton Coppin
Mpumelelo Mashiloane
Kayleigh Craig
Alysia Rudolph
Jennifer Hall
Thembi Mokgohloa
Sabelo Jiyane
Jenna Searle
Emma Venter
Imperial Central Gauteng Lions Women:
Sharne Mayers
Keneuoe Makhakhe
Tumi Sekhkhune
Lehlohonolo Sardick
Yolani Fourie
Karabo Meso
Kgomotso Rapoo
Jameelah Shaikjee
Ayabonga Khaka
Palesa Mapoo
Samantha Schutte
Kirstie Thomson
Paballo Tshidi
Nonkululeko Thabethe
Senwes Dragons Women:
Tazmin Brits
Masabata Klaas
Evodia Yekile
Elandri Janse van Rensburg
Alyssa Erxleben
Humaira Ebrahim
Wilmi Mostert
Izei Cilliers
Zintle Mali
Katlego Setlhodi
Anica Swart
Suné Wittmann
Nthabiseng Nini
Tshegofatso Monyela
Hollywoodbets KZN Coastal:
Dheyanka Naidoo
Nadine Avril Moodley
Nondumiso Shangase
Nonkululeko Mlaba
Chloe Tryon
Courtney Leigh Gounden
Kiara Fisher
Ayanda Hlubi
Luyanda Nzuza
Nonhle Busane
Jade de Figueiredo
Seshnie Naidu
Sabathile Madlala
Nosihle Ngubane
Northerns:
Robin Searle
Josephine Maswangane
Kay-Leigh Tapp
Kgalalelo Matsepe
Ricca Coetzer
Nicolien Janse van Rensburg
Paulina Mashishi
Suné Luus, Amogelang Maphangula
Eliz-Mari Marx
Monalisa Legodi
Gandhi Jafta
Katherine Prior
Khanyisile Skhosana
Six Gun Grill Western Province Women:
Alexis le Breton
Andrie Steyn
Stacey Lackay
Lara Goodall
Sinalo Jafta
Delmari Tucker
Yandiswa Mangele
Robyn Appels
Faye Tunnicliffe
Tatum le Roux
Saarah Smith
Christine Tomlinson
Leah Jones
Nosipho Vezi
Photo 1 Caption: Tournament hosts Imperial Central Gauteng Lions Women feature among South Africa’s top six cricket teams contesting the CSA Women’s Provincial One-Day tournament starting today in Johannesburg. Photo: Imperial Central Gauteng Lions Women (Instagram)
With editing by gsport
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