Milestones, momentum, and magic of Boland - Proteas Fay Tunnicliffe reflects memorable win

After a standout performance in the second T20I against Ireland, Faye Tunnicliffe took a moment to reflect on her journey, the team’s culture, and the electric atmosphere that defined the day - a blend of personal achievement, collective ambition, and a deep connection to the cricketing community.

SETTLING THE NERVES AND FINDING FREEDOM

Tunnicliffe’s innings was marked by composure and a sense of liberation after early nerves. The opener was dropped on five by Laura Delany at short third from the bowling of Alana Dalzell, but went on to top-score with a maiden T20I 51 from 42 balls with seven boundaries.

“Yeah, definitely, I felt like a lot more free after that,” she shared, describing how getting a chance to bat helped her settle.

“I think there's a little bit of luck involved in cricket and I was lucky enough to be on the good side of that, so yeah, definitely felt my nerves settled a little bit after that,” added the WSB Western Province opener.

Her milestone was more than just a personal achievement. “Yeah, really special. My goal has always been to contribute to the team and I just wanted to do that meaningfully and I'm glad that Sune and I could put like a pretty good foundation out today.”

Tunnicliffe and Sune Luus (37) added 78 for the first wicket from 60 balls with Luus cracking six boundaries from 24 balls. “Then, I mean, the middle order was insane. They came in and just like whacked it all over, so yeah, happy with that. Hopefully a lot to come, but main thing, like I said, is to contribute.”

Tunnicliffe was referring to the awesome power of Dane van Niekerk, who struck three boundaries and three maximums before being undone for 41 from just 19 balls, sharing in a fourth-wicket stand of 47 in just 22 balls with Marizanne Kapp (16).

THE BOLAND CROWD: HOME AWAY FROM HOME

The support from the Boland crowd was a highlight for Tunnicliffe, who has deep ties to the Winelands region. “I love the Boland crowd. I played a lot of cricket here, played for Boland for a while, so it kind of felt like a home crowd. They're insane. They really brought the vibes and I think their support is always unmatched, so it was really cool.”

The connection to young fans was especially meaningful as she was presented with an armband prior to the game by Boland Cricket with messages from fans. “That was so beautiful. Actually, I wanted to play with the armband on and then just before I came out to bat, I took it off, but yeah, all of that stuff is really meaningful.”

“I mean, there's little girls in the crowd coming to watch and we want to inspire them, we want girls to play cricket and we want the girls to enjoy the game, so the best thing we can do is enjoy it and win as well. That helps!” added Tunnicliffe.

BRIDGING THE GAP: PROVINCIAL TO NATIONAL

Stepping up from domestic cricket to the international stage is no small feat. Tunnicliffe acknowledged the challenge: “Yeah, we always talk about that gap between provincial and national and you can feel it.”

“It's quite a step up, but like I said in the interview, there's still a lot to learn. I would like to obviously have a quicker 50 or just a higher strike rate in general, so I'll work towards that, but I mean, I'll take the win for now,” said Tunnicliffe.

The WSB Western Province opener averages 11.5 in the Hollywoodbets Pro20 this season with one fifty and a century to her name in three innings. However, her international career has yet to take off, having scored 131 runs in 12 innings – including today’s 51 – to average just 13.1.

“I'll take the lessons, but yeah, I think the main thing is that us national players take a lot back to provincial and then we work our way up from there,” said Tunnicliffe.

TEAM CULTURE: UNITY AND INCLUSIVITY

The Proteas Women’s team culture is built on respect and togetherness. “Yeah, it's been really cool. Everyone's been really welcoming. I think a lot of people are quite aware of the journeys that a lot of the players within the space have been on, so really respectful of that.”

“I think there's a lot of unity within the group at the moment, which is awesome. So we play for each other when we're out there - sounds cliché - but it's the truth. We really just want to cultivate a culture of inclusivity. One unit moving together is going to win a World Cup, so that's kind of the goal,” added the former Boland player.

EYES ON THE WORLD CUP

With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, in England and Wales in 2026, the team’s ambitions are clear, having faltered at the final hurdle in the past two events. Losing the final to Australia by 19 runs on home soil in 2023 at Newlands and then in 2024 in the UAE to New Zealand by 32 runs.

“Yeah, well, I mean, the goal is to win that World Cup, but to me personally, they just say like what you've been doing has been working, so just express yourself out there and do you. Luckily, it came off today, but yeah, I think the focus will always be the T20 World Cup,” ended Tunnicliffe.

As the Proteas Women build momentum, Tunnicliffe’s journey and insights offer fans a glimpse of a team united by purpose, inspired by community, and driven by dreams of global success.