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MOMENTUM PROTEAS SHIFT GEARS TO T20

The Momentum Proteas have shifted gears from the ODI series and are aiming to achieve another series whitewash, this time in the Cricket South Africa Women’s T20s starting in Kimberley on Thursday.

The three-match clash will see the last two fixtures played in Bloemfontein on the 19th and 20th of May.

Head coach Hilton Moreeng has resumed his duties after taking time off following the sudden passing of his father. He is pleased with the progress the team has made in the last two months since they had been together and is impressed with the manner in which they achieved their ODI series success. He said he is looking forward to seeing the same clinical approach from the first match of the T20 series.

Moreeng has identified certain areas that will require improvement if the team want to replicate the success of the ODI series.

“Having looked at the growing trend in the way that T20 cricket around the world is being played, we know that consistency with the bat is going to be very important,” he explained. “We have to look at getting scores that are above 120 in order to be competitive. It’s also important that we also find ways of capitalizing on every little opportunity to score runs during the middle periods of the game which is around where we tend to stagnate. We need to find ways of gaining momentum. That being said, I’m quite happy with how we approach the powerplay.

“The T20 format is a is a strength-levelling format. I’m sure that Bangladesh is going to compete in this format, so fielding is going to be key for us to make sure that we prevent them from taking easy runs and minimize those ones and twos.”

The coach wants to see his charges make full use of the home ground advantage and show their experience of the conditions in Kimberley as they prepare for their ultimate goal, which is to be ready for the ICC Women’s World T20 taking place in the West Indies this November.

“This is our home ground, so the advantage is ours,” he continued. “We’re really just concentrating on ourselves and focussing on what we need to do as a team. At the end of the day, each and every T20 game we play from now is to build towards the World Cup.”

All-rounder and team big-hitter, Chloe Tryon is looking forward to the return of her favourite format.

“The five-nil series win is a big confidence booster for us going into the T20s and the girls are really eager for the change of pace and are hoping to win three-nil,” she commented. “It’s a high-intensity format so the game plans are always simple. We’ve got some really big hitters in the team, myself included. I’m just really looking forward to playing my natural game, which is to be aggressive and help the team reach its goal.”

Proteas T20 squad:

Dané van Niekerk (captain, Eastern Province), Lizelle Lee (North West), Chloe Tryon (KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins), Mignon du Preez (Northerns), Marizanne Kapp (Eastern Province), Shabnim Ismail (Gauteng), Ayabonga Khaka (Gauteng), Masabata Klaas (North West), Raisibe Ntozakhe (Gauteng), Suné Luus (Northerns), Laura Wolvaardt (Western Province), Zintle Mali (Border), Stacey Lackay (Western Province), Tazmin Brits (North West).

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PROTEAS WOMEN PREPARE FOR NZ SERIES

The Momentum Proteas have spent the past this week at the Cricket South Africa Centre of Excellence in Pretoria as they begin final preparations for two big tours against New Zealand and Australia in the coming months.

The 18-women contingent met for a camp that will see a final 15 chosen for the seven-match One-Day International series against New Zealand’s White Ferns beginning on 8 October in Kimberley. The first three matches form part of the ICC Women’s Championship, the qualifying competition for next year’s ICC Women’s World Cup.

The country’s national women’s team are coming off a successful tour of Ireland where they comfortably won a ODI series 3-1 and drew their two-match T20 sequence.

They will boast a full-strength squad when they face New Zealand.

“For us it’s actually been a good week so far,” coach Hilton Moreeng said. “We have a lot of fringe players in the squad, all the players from the KIA League as well as all the players from the Ireland tour where a lot of learning happened (are here).

“I think for us it was important to touch base with each and every player to make sure we sharpen our skills because we’ve got two tough tours coming.”

“As far as the ICC challenge is concerned, we need to make sure we win these tours in order to qualify in the top four.”

The Momentum Proteas are currently fifth in the race for the World Cup, only a point behind New Zealand, which makes their meeting even more important.

Moreeng also reflected on the trip to Ireland.

“It was very encouraging, especially if you see how the youngsters carried themselves in very tough conditions,” he continued. “I don’t think anyone in the team (under normal circumstances) experiences those sort of conditions when it’s wet, rainy and cold, so those sort of conditions took some getting used to. The players were put out of their comfort zone and how they came across and the results we got from some of these players was very good.”

“One of the things that was very positive was how our batters applied themselves on those difficult wickets. It shows with the records that were broken on the tour.

“As a team, I think we are developing and maturing. We’re moving in the right direction and it shows that we’re slowly getting where we want to be as far as the depth is concerned.”

With so many players putting their hand up in the absence of the star names, it has also brought about a selection headache for the selectors.

“We have to look at everything that has transpired in the last two months. I think we had a good winter where all the contracted players and fringe players here, about 18 of them whom we worked with daily in the National Academy over the winter,” Moreeng added.

“The results showed. It’s important to take that going into the New Zealand tour where the first three games are extremely important, but we’ll take it one game at a time.

“It’s always difficult when you’re playing a home series regarding the pressure that you have to deal with, but mentally, I think the girls are in a good place.

“The intensity and work we’ve done this week has been very impressive, so we’re very happy with where the squad is as a whole. We can’t wait to get started.”

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