Some of the country’s best young cricketers will convene for an intense week-long national training camp in Gqeberha between 13 – 19 October as the Momentum Proteas kickstart their preparations for next year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup held in South Africa in February 2023.
The camp will be attended by an extended squad, including nationally contracted and high-performance players, as well as the rising stars from the SA U19 Women’s programme.
The 21-player group will be put through their paces beginning with a rigorous physical assessment, then a focus on technical skills before wrapping up the week with multiple T20 intra-squad matches to sharpen match practice as a unit.
Ahead of the camp, Proteas Women head coach, Hilton Moreeng shared some insight on the importance of the seven-day gathering.
“The planning and preparation towards the T20 World Cup has been ongoing,” Moreeng commented.
“We took a lot of stock from the UK Tour and now it is for us to make sure that we can start working on some of the things that we have identified.
“It has also been good that most of the players have been back in their provinces as part of the domestic season, which has been ongoing for the past three weeks,” he added.
With the camp missing a core group of senior players due to continued rehabilitation from injuries and participation in this year’s Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia, Moreeng has brought in a well-balanced selection of players to work with, including stand-out SA Emerging and U19 players.
Tumi Sekhukhune (groin) and Trisha Chetty (back) are currently rehabilitating from previous injuries, while Ayabonga Khaka and Dané van Niekerk continue their individualised training programmes after extended breaks from their overseas exploits. Meanwhile, Sinalo Jafta has been given a leave of absence for personal reasons.
The WBBL group includes Laura Wolvaardt (Adelaide Strikers), Shabnim Ismail (Melbourne Renegades) and Mignon du Preez (Hobart Hurricanes), as well as Marizanne Kapp (Perth Scorchers) and Chloé Tryon (Sydney Thunder).
The recently retired Lizelle Lee will be playing alongside Du Preez at the Hurricanes.
Moreeng believes this is the ideal time for a wider pool of players in South Africa to put up their hands ahead of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup and the senior Women’s T20 World Cup set to be played at home.
“As a cricketer in the country these days, you are very happy and excited to be part of the plan going forward because we are hosting two World Cups and the U19s and even the Emerging and national side have been busy this winter,” the coach said.
“We want to look at what we have in the depth of the country and also expose some of the youngsters that have shown potential in the U19s, knowing that they are going to an U19 World Cup.
“The exposure we are giving them at national level, to be around some of the national players that are currently in the country, will be very good for them. It will also enhance their development going forward, because at the end of the day they will be aspiring to be in the national side representing their country at the highest level.
“We have some of the players that have departed for Australia for the Big Bash, and we wish them well for that opportunity, but now it gives us another opportunity to look at those youngsters that have been doing well in the past season and over the winter,” Moreeng continued.
The camp will conclude with four exciting intra-squad T20 practice matches over the final two days as Moreeng aims to work on tactical strategy while creating healthy competition amongst the players.
“For us, it is now to fine-tune one or two tactical things we wanted to work on. We took stock from the UK tour and the other two tours, the Emerging and U19s; (about) where we want to go as a country, and what we want to achieve because we are playing a World Cup on home soil, and we can share ideas around that.
“Overall, tactically, there are some stuff we are going to work on. We have an opportunity as a squad to see how the players measure up against each other,” the coach said.
TRAINING SQUAD
Micaéla Andrews (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Nobulumko Baneti (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Tazmin Brits (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Nadine de Klerk (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Lara Goodall (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Anri Grobbelaar (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Elandri Janse van Rensburg** (North West Dragons), Suné Luus (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Masabata Klaas (North West Dragons), Tebogo Macheke (Fidelity Titans), Eliz-Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans), Karabo Meso** (DP World Lions), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Raisibe Ntozakhe (DP World Lions), Kayla Reyneke** (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Andrie Steyn (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Delmi Tucker (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Faye Tunnicliffe (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Jané Winster (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers)
SA U19 Women players**