Tag: Momentum Proteas

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SACA Celebrates Tony Irish on Receiving the Prestigious Tim May Medal of Honour

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MOMENTUM PROTEAS GO UP IN T20 SERIES

The Momentum Proteas continued their winning ways when they beat Bangladesh by 17 runs in the first Cricket South Africa (CSA) Women’s T20I in Kimberley. They go one-nil up in the three-match series.

Shabnim Ismail was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3/19 in her four-over spell, including a maiden to help restrict the visitors to 110/5 chasing a 128-run target. Raisibe Ntozakhe (1/10) and Masabata Klaas (1/21) chipped in with a wicket each along the way.

Bangladesh’s Rumana Ahmed (36 off 41 balls) and Fargana Hoque (35 off 37) batted their side out of early trouble after losing the opening pair of Shamima Sultana (5) and Sanjida Islam (8) cheaply inside the first five overs. Ahmed and Hoque then went about reconstructing the innings, sharing a 72-run, fourth-wicket partnership before the former was toppled by Ismail. The bowlers squeezed away the overs, ensuring the tourists did not get over the line in the end.

Earlier in the day, the home side got off to a flying start with the bat thanks to a 77-run opening stand between Lizelle Lee (46 off 38 balls) and Laura Wolvaardt (30 off 22) after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Trouble came after the loss of Wolvaardt at the hands of Ahmed (2/19) in the 10th over. She and Khadija Tul Kubra (3/23) ripped through the South African top order, taking five wickets between them as the hosts slipped from 77/1 to 86/5 after 13 overs. They lost the openers, stand in captain Chloe Tryon (6), Mignon du Preez (1) and debutant Stacey Lackay (1) in rapid succession.

Marizanne Kapp added 11 runs to the scoreboard before she fell victim to Salma Khatun (1/12) off the first ball of the 19th over. Suné Luus took the innings in her own hands, blasting 28 runs from 23 deliveries including two fours and six, moving South Africa from 113/6 to a healthier 127 in the end.

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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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ISMAIL FIVE-FOR KEEPS MOMENTUM PROTEAS ALIVE IN T20 SERIES

Shabnim Ismail took a career-best 5/30 to help the Momentum Proteas beat India by five wickets in the third Cricket South Africa (CSA) Women’s T20 at the Bidvest Wanderers on Sunday. The visitors now lead the series 2-1.

India were restricted to 133 in 17.5 overs thanks to Ismail’s remarkable spell which was well supported by Masabata Klaas, who got 2/20. A special mention must go to Marizanne Kapp who got the team off to a sensational start, taking the wicket of Mithali Raj (0) in the first over of the match. She ended with outstanding figures of 1/6 in three overs including her opening wicket maiden after the home side won the toss and elected to field.

India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur (48) and Smriti Mandhana (37) recovered the innings well, but wickets tumbled at regular intervals, the bowlers not allowing the batting side to settle in for too long.

South Africa’s reply saw the early loss of Lizelle Lee for the third match straight, this time for five runs off Pooja Vastrakar (2/21). Captain, Dané van Niekerk chipped in with 26 runs off 20 balls (5x4s) before Suné Luus (41 off 34) and Mignon du Preez (20) began the rebuild.

Poonam Yadav struck at the end of the 14th over with the Proteas needing 50 from the last 36 balls. Enter the dangerous Chloe Tryon who smashed 34 runs from just 15 deliveries, getting her side to the brink of victory. They needed just three runs when she lost her wicket and overcame the visitors comfortably in the end.

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MOMENTUM PROTEAS KEEP INDIA FROM SERIES WHITEWASH

India’s quest for a maiden bilateral series whitewash against South Africa was thwarted by the hosts with a resounding seven-wicket win in Potchefstroom. Laura Wolvaardt and Mignon du Preez, who both struck half-centuries, played protagonists in South Africa’s first win in the three-match series, aided by a brisk 41-run cameo from captain Dane van Niekerk and India’s sloppiness in the end overs of their 240-run defence.

Needing 63 off the last nine overs, and the fourth-wicket stand between du Preez and Niekerk worth only nine runs, Shikha Pandey dropped a Niekerk force at mid-off off the first ball of the 42nd over. Four balls later, legspinner Poonam Yadav gave herself a chance of picking up her second wicket and India a shot at sending back du Preez, only to be squandered by wicketkeeper Sushma Verma in the form of a missed stumping. When Poonam came back in the 44th to bowl her ninth over, she dropped a return catch off van Niekerk, who subsequently unleashed a flurry of drives and sweeps – some while falling on her knee – and peppered the square-leg boundary for quick runs. She totaled five fours in her unbeaten 30-ball innings, while routinely capitalising on overthrows from India in the back-end of the chase.

Van Niekerk’s ingenuity amounted to a 72-run stand with du Preez, who anchored the chase with an unbeaten 111-ball 90 that steered a 118-run third-wicket partnership with 18-year-old Wolvaardt. Coming into the game on the back of scores 9 and 21 in the previous two ODIs, Wolvaardt weathered the early loss of opening partner Lizelle Lee, and put on 41 runs with Andrie Steyn (30 off 53) en route to her 88-ball 59. In doing so, Wolvaardt became the youngest South African to notch up 1000 runs in ODI cricket. After Ekta Bisht removed Wolvaardt, du Preez kept the chase on track with plucky singles, including the one that sealed the chase with four balls to spare.

Out of the three changes made to India’s winning combination from the previous two matches, debutant Pooja Vastrakar, the teenage medium-pacer who came in for Jhulan Goswami, and Bisht, who replaced fellow left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, leaked 77 runs between them for a solitary wicket in their combined 18 overs. The other change – in the batting department – Mona Meshram, who came in for Punam Raut, pinched 11 in her 22-ball labour during an India innings that blew hot and cold in their 240-run effort.
While Smriti Mandhana, the Player of the Series, followed her 135 and 84 with a duck, captain Mithali Raj fell for a 24-ball 4 as both found themselves in the middle of a blistering opening burst from Ayabonga Khaka and Shabnim Ismail, who topped and tailed her 9-1-30-4 with the wickets of Mandhana and tailender Bisht. Deepti Sharma, however, validated Raj’s decision to promote her to the opening role with a 112-ball 79. After van Niekerk brought Harmanpreet Kaur’s 35-ball 25 to an end, Deepti steadied India’s innings with an 83-run stand with Veda Krishnamurthy, becoming the youngest Indian to get to the 1000-run mark in women’s ODIs.

Krishnamurthy, meanwhile, added urgency to the innings with a quick-paced second straight fifty, before a run-a-ball 17 from Verma and 31-run blitz from Pandey hoisted India to 240 as the hosts bowled them out off the last ball of the innings, concluded by part-time bowler Chloe Tryon who took two wickets in her 10 overs.

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VAN NIEKERK ‘PROUD’ AFTER ENGLAND DEFEAT

Momentum Proteas skipper Dane van Niekerk, while disappointed with the loss, says she is proud of her team for reaching the semi-final and the manner in which they accomplished the feat.

The Proteas went down to the England in a thrilling ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final in Bristol on Tuesday.

The Proteas Women posted a modest total of 218/6 at the end of their innings after electing to bat first, however it was just enough for the hosts to seal victory in the final over.

“If you were in our change room you’ll probably be crying now – it’s tough,” Van Niekerk told reporters after their two-wicket loss.

“Especially losing a game so close, you know that hurts even more.

“We were kind of down and out half-way through (the game), but the character the team showed and the way they fought – it hurt even more. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t enough and we didn’t have enough on the board.

“The character and fight the team showed throughout the tournament. Not a lot of people thought we’d come this far and I’ve very proud of them.”

Van Niekerk thought her side were 30 runs short after England chased their target of 219 with only two balls to spare.

“We didn’t have a perfect innings, I think both teams made mistakes on the field. In every cricket match there’ll always be extras and mistakes and that’s part of the game,” said the Proteas skipper.

“Yeah, we were 30 runs short, but the way my team went out to try and defend that – I couldn’t ask for more.”

Van Niekerk thanked South Africans back home for their ongoing support throughout the tournament and looked to get to the final in the next World Cup.

“The support from everyone back home has been so amazing and I just want to thank everyone who has reached out to us and showed their support,” said Van Niekerk.

“We wish we could have done it for them, but we can take heart in knowing that at least at the next World Cup, we have the capability and ability to go all the way to the final. We hope we made South Africa proud.”

South Africa finished the round-robin phase of the competition in fourth place, only losing to England and Australia before their semi-final heartbreak.

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PROTEAS WOMEN CLINCH EMPHATIC WIN OVER INDIA

Half-century and four wickets from Momentum Proteas captain, Dané van Niekerk and a 65-ball 92 by Lizelle Lee lay the foundation for a resounding, 115-run victory for the over India, breaking India’s unbeaten streak when the sides met for the 18th match in the ICC Women’s World Cup in Leicester on Sunday. It was a strong statement by the South Africans, whose victory today was their first against India in a World Cup.

The day started with Lee, hitting 10 fours and seven 6’s on her road to laying the groundwork towards her side’s 273/9 after they were asked to bat first. She did well to continue the team’s momentum after the initial loss off her partner, Laura Wolvaardt for one run, eight balls into the match. Trisha Chetty (24) provided support for Lee, sticking around for 45 balls as their partnership reached 91 runs for the second wicket.

Van Niekerk entered the match when her side were on a shaky 162/5 and proceeded to hit seven fours and a six to reach her 57 runs in 66 deliveries and steer the innings in a more stable position. Other notable batting contributions came from Chloe Tryon, who made another good cameo, scoring a rapid-fire 24 from 18 and Mignon du Preez, whose 22 off 29 balls helped bring calm to the innings after the loss of Lee.

India’s Shikha Pandey was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 40, while Harmanpreet Kaur (2/18) and Ekta Bisht (2/68) returned two scalps each.

Their batting reply was stifled by yet another top class bowling display by the South African skipper, who returned figures of 4/22 in her 10 overs. Two of those were the wickets of her counterpart Mithali Raj and Kaur, who both fell for ducks in the same over.

Deepti Sharma provided the last stand for India, top scoring with 60 from 111 deliveries (five fours) as everyone else except Jhulan Goswami (43), opener Punam Raut (22), and Bisht (13) returned single figures.

Van Niekerk is proud of the manner in which her side bounced back from their 68-run loss to England on Wednesday.

“I’m incredibly proud of the team, that’s the response that any captain wants to see after a loss like that,” she said. “It was a very tough loss, a lot of bowlers went and had a bit of downtime where they reflected on their personal performances and came back with plans on how they were gonna do better.

“It’s a very tough tournament, it’s hard on the body and it’s a long tournament as well. We’re not used to playing tournaments this long so I’m glad they took that time. I’m glad that they hurt (after the England match), because today they came back firing.”

South Africa are now one step closer to a semi-final qualification. They rise to fourth place on the tournament log, while India remain steadfast in second place behind defending champions, Australia.

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MOMENTUM PROTEAS WIN OPENING MATCH

The Momentum Proteas got their 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup campaign off to a winning start when they beat Pakistan by three wickets at Grace Road in Leicester on Sunday. This win marks the side’s highest-ever World Cup run chase after they were set a 207-run target by Sana Mir’s charges.

With Pakistan put in to bat first, Bibi Nahida represented a crucial presence at the crease as fellow opener Ayesha Zafar (nine) and then Javeria Wadood were all bowled by Marizanne Kapp and Moseline Daniels respectively for 43/2.

With just 20 runs managed inside the second 10 overs, it was looking like hard work for Pakistan.

But Bibi – who was dropped by Ayabonga Khaka on 26 – brought up her half-century off 75 balls to steady the ship. Her effort eventually ended when she was run out by Ismail but Pakistan boosted its total later on despite losing Sana Mir and Marina Iqbal off Ismail’s bowling in the final over.

The South Africa openers set about their business well early on with Lee bringing up 1 500 runs in ODI cricket with a six over mid-on before reaching her 10th ODI fifty in dramatic fashion as Sadia dropped a catch at long-on to concede four.

But when Lee and Wolvaardt – who brought up her fourth ODI fifty off 81 balls – were dismissed in the 26th and 31st overs respectively, panic seemed to spread through the South Africa team.

Trisha Chetty (11) was caught at midwicket by Javeria before the latter ran out Kapp (one), Chloe Tryon (three) was bowled by Sadia and captain Dane van Niekerk (two) was another run-out victim, this time by Nain, with four wickets lost for 19 runs.

Mignon du Preez then holed out to Asmavia Iqbal at deep midwicket but Ismail held her nerve.

Losing six wickets in 49 runs was not ideal, but Ismail made her biggest contribution in the game yet, smashing three boundaries in the second-last over to secure victory for her side.

Ismail said: “It’s really important to start tournaments like this on a positive note because it gives you momentum going into the next matches. The confidence boost from today’s game is going to take us a long way in this tournament, just that belief that we can pull off a win even when it looks as though we are down and out showed us that we are capable of more.

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KAPP TOPS ICC RANKINGS HEADING INTO WORLD CUP

Momentum Proteas Marizanne Kapp heads into the Women’s World Cup as the top-ranked bowler in One-Day International cricket.

The ICC Women’s World Cup will be held across five venues in the United Kingdom, from June 24 to July 23.

Defending champions and six-time winners Australia’s campaign will be led by captain Meg Lanning, who tops the batsman’s list in the Women’s ODI Player Rankings by a comfortable margin of 51 points over India captain Mithali Raj.

For three-time winners England, who won the World Cup both times they hosted it – in 1973 and 1993 – captain Heather Knight leads the batting line-up in 11th position.

New Zealand, the 2000 champions, boast Amy Satterthwaite who is ranked third and captain Suzie Bates, who has a huge reputation as she was the leading run-scorer in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2013.

The Proteas women have the satisfaction of seeing Kapp at the top of the bowlers’ list, with Shabnim Ismail in 10th position.

Lizelle Lee (10th), who partnered in a record 163-run opening stand with captain Dane van Niekerk in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2014 match against Pakistan, will feature in her first World Cup and is the top-ranked batsman from her side with Mignon de Preez (13th) and Chloe Tryon (14th) not too far behind.

There are no separate ODI team rankings for women but the results of the ICC Women’s World Cup will have a bearing on the Women’s Team Rankings, which are a combination of ODI and Twenty20 International results.

Australia leads the table currently with 128 points. They could be overtaken by England (122 points) if the host wins all its matches and Australia also lose to New Zealand and the West Indies or fare worse.

South Africa are on 91 points, Pakistan on 76 and Sri Lanka on 67 points.

Top 10 women bowling rankings:

1. Marizanne Kapp (RSA) – 665

2. Stafanie Taylor (WI) – 636

3. Jhulan Goswami (IND) – 611

4. Katherine Brunt (ENG) – 606

5. Jess Jonassen (AUS) – 598

6. Ekta Bisht (IND) – 586

7. Anisa Mohammed (WI) – 577

8. Sana Mir (PAK) – 569

9. Ellyse Perry (AUS) – 558

10. Shibnam Ismail (RSA) – 543

Top 10 women batting rankings:

1. Meg Lanning (AUS) – 807

2. Mithali Raj (IND) – 756

3. Amy Satterthwaite (NZ) – 733

4. Suzie Bates (NZ) – 694

5. Stafanie Taylor (WI) – 687

6. Ellyse Perry (AUS) – 681

7. Alex Blackwell (AUS) – 623

8. Deandra Dottin (WI) – 583

9. Harmanpreet Kaur (IND) – 562

10. Lizelle Lee (RSA) – 560

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KLAAS EXCITED ABOUT FIRST 50-OVER WORLD CUP

Momentum Proteas bowler, Masabata Klaas will embark on her first-ever trip to the England when the team depart for the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup on Friday. This will be her first time participating in a 50-over World Cup, having previously played for South Africa in the last two ICC Women’s World T20 competitions.

The Free State native believes that exposure to a high-intensity competition like the World Cup, coupled with having to play in unknown English conditions is what she needs to take her game to the next level.

“I can’t wait to go to England as it will be my first trip there and also my first 50-over World Cup,” she said. “As a team, we have prepared really well so far and playing in a competition like this, against the kind of opposition we will face, I can only get better as a player and it is an opportunity to up my game at the end of the day.”

“It’s definitely not an easy place to tour,” she continued. “Everyone is going to have to pull together and make sure we stick to our game plans. If we can learn from what we have seen from the men’s games, we will at least have taken a step in the right direction.”

Klaas, whose international career began in 2010 when she made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Potchefstroom, looks at how far the team has come since then and how much the women’s game has evolved.

She said; “Since my debut so much has changed for the women’s team. Momentum came on board with their sponsorship and changed a lot for us. The contracts that we got starting in 2013 have changed lots of girls’ lives and now our games are also on TV. I’m very excited about all our matches in the World Cup being televised on SuperSport.”

The team depart for England this Friday, 16 June 2017. An open media practice will be held tomorrow (Thursday, 15 June) at the outdoor nets at the CSA Centre of Excellence with interviews starting at 13:00.

Momentum Proteas ICC Women’s World Cup squad:
Dané van Niekerk (capt, Eastern Province), Chloe Tryon (vice-captain, KwaZulu-Natal), Trisha Chetty (wk, Gauteng), Moseline Daniels (Boland), Nadine de Klerk (Northerns), Mignon du Preez (Northerns), Shabnim Ismail (Gauteng), Ayabonga Khaka (Border), Marizanne Kapp (Eastern Province), Masabata Klaas (Free State), Lizelle Lee (North West), Sune Luus (Northerns), Raisibe Ntozakhe (Gauteng), Andrie Steyn (Western Province), Laura Wolvaardt (Western Province).

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ISMAIL SET UP MOMENTUM PROTEAS VICTORY

Shabnim Ismail took her second ever five-wicket haul while Raisibe Ntozakhe took an excellent 3/8 on debut to set up a convincing, eight-wicket win for the Momentum Proteas in the first One-Day International of the Cricket South Africa Women’s Quadrangular series against Zimbabwe in Potchefstroom on Sunday. The series includes Ireland and India. 

Ismail took 5/25 in 8.5 overs, which included two maidens to have the visitors bundled out for 78 in 26.5 overs after they elected to bat first. Zimbabwean captain, Sharne Mayers top scored with 24 runs from 29 deliveries as the rest of her line-up visibly struggled to hold their own against the home side. The second-highest score was an unbeaten, 42 ball 13 from Josephine Nkomo, who did her best to keep her wicket intact but had no assistance from the rest of the lower order.

South Africa’s disappointment was with their bowling effort, they yielded 20 runs, including 15 wides.

Nevertheless, the hosts began well with the bat as they embarked on what they would feel would be an attainable run chase. They reached the required total with 230 balls to spare and, with the exception of the lost wickets of Laura Wolvaardt (28) and Lizelle Lee (21), did so with relative ease.

South Africa will face the old enemy, India in their next match on Tuesday, 09 May 2017.

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MOMENTUM PROTEAS WIN WITH 240 BALLS TO SPARE

Phenomenal spells of bowling from Odine Kirsten and Marcia Letsoalo helped Momentum Proteas topple Bangladesh women for 68 and take the ODI series 4-1 in Cox’s Bazar.

For the hosts, it was a dismal end to the series, with eight of their players making single-digit scores after they had won the toss and opted to bat. Kirsten with 10-5-10-4 and Letsoalo with 10-3-13-3 were the wreckers-in-chief. This bode well for South Africa, who go into the World Cup qualifiers next month in Sri Lanka aware that they can thrive in subcontinent conditions. The top four teams from that tournament will qualify for the World Cup in June 2017 and join Australia, England New Zealand and West Indies.

Bangladesh have a chance to make it as well, but they would hope for better batting performances than Friday’s. They lost two wickets in the fourth over and struggled to give any kind of shape to their innings. Although seven players in the line-up faced 20 balls or more – indicating they were getting set at the crease – none of them made a substantial contribution. Captain Rumana Ahmed spent 44 minutes at the crease and wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana put in over an hour’s work but combined they gave the team only 19 runs.

Momentum Proteas needed next to no time to complete the chase, winning with eight wickets and 240 balls to spare.

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DU PREEZ SETS UP PROTEAS WOMEN SERIES WIN

Mignon du Preez’s 108-ball 79 and a disciplined bowling performance helped South Africa complete a series win after routing Bangladesh by 94 runs in the fourth ODI in Cox’s Bazar. After electing to bat, South Africa posted 251 for 7 and then bowled Bangladesh out for 157 off the last ball of the match.

South Africa were given a sprightly start by openers Lizelle Lee and Andrie Steyn. The pair put on 38 runs in 33 balls, before both batsmen fell in successive overs. Du Preez then combined with Chloe Tryon for a 74-run partnership off 96 balls to put South Africa’s innings back on track. Tryon contributed with 47 off 54 balls, including seven fours.

Strong contributions from South Africa’s middle and lower order helped them plunder 32 off the last three overs. Offspinner Khadija Tul Kabra returned figures of 3 for 48 in 10 overs, while Rumana Ahmed chipped in with two wickets.

Bangladesh’s chase didn’t begin well: they lost three wickets and scored 28 runs in the first 10 overs. The next 20 overs yielded just 35 runs without a boundary. Fargana Hoque struck her career-best ODI score, a 144-ball 67. It was her third ODI fifty. Ayabonga Khaka picked up three wickets. Moseline Daniels and Marcia Letsoalo claimed two wickets each.

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PROTEAS WOMEN CRUSH BANGLADESH IN OPENING ODI

Momentum Proteas got their tune up to the World Cup qualifiers off in fine fashion as they crushed hosts Bangladesh by 86 runs in the opening One-Day International.

The Proteas womens team are in Bangladesh to play five ODIs before they head to Sri Lanka for the World Cup qualifiers. They would be delighted after their efforts in the first game.

South Africa were off to a superb start thanks to Lizelle Lee and Andreie Steyn, who combined to add 122 in 22.4 overs after being put in to bat. While Steyn was guarded in her approach, scoring slightly over a run every two balls, her partner Lee was in a mood to destroy. Lee smashed 87 off just 71 balls, a knock that included six fours and seven sixes, to blast her team into a dominating position.

After Lee was dismissed, Mignon du Preez took over, hitting a well-paced 62 to further South Africa’s stronghold. Marizanne Kapp added a few lusty blows towards the end as South Africa ended with 251 for 3 in their fifty overs.

Bangladesh’s top three batters – Sharmin Akther, Sanjida Islam and Fargana Hoque – added a combined 22 runs off 95 balls to leave their side on the backfoot.

At 56 for 4 in the 23rd over, Bangladesh were in danger of a massive loss until Nigar Sultana gave the hosts’ total some respectability as she kept the tourists at bay. Sultana hit 59 off 90 deliveries, ending the innings in some style with a flurry of boundaries as South Africa romped home to an 86-run win.

Sune Luus picked up three wickets to finish as South Africa’s most top bowler on the day, while captain Dane van Niekerk impressed with figures of 2 for 23 in her nine overs.

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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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WOLVAARDT HISTORIC INNINGS

Laura Wolvaardt became the youngest centurion, male or female, for South Africa in international cricket. The 17-year old opener struck a match-winning 105 against Ireland Women to wrap up a 67-run victory in Malahide.

Wolvaardt’s innings began with consecutive fours against Lewis in the fourth over. She had nine boundaries by the time she raised her fifty – off only 51 balls. Her 13th hit to the fence took her to 99 in the 37th over and a couple the next time she got on strike gave her a maiden ODI century. She was 233 days younger than the previous South African record-holder, Johmari Logtenberg of the 2007 women’s team, and a full two years younger than Graeme Pollock when men’s international cricket is taken into account. In women’s cricket, only India’s Mithali Raj has made a hundred at a younger age.

Wolvaardt’s innings was part of an opening partnership that added 192 runs. From the other end, experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Trisha Chetty contributed with 95. With a total of 260 to defend, legspinner Sune Luus picked up her second five-for in three matches to leave the Irish women with very little chance. She took two of the first four wickets to fall leaving the score at 75 for 4. Isobel Joyce and Kim Garth struck half-centuries each, but their efforts barely mattered in a match South Africa dominated. Ireland were bowled out for 193, with six single-digit scores.

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PROTEAS WOMEN THRILLING WIN

The Momentum Proteas took a 1-0 lead in the two-match women’s Twenty20 (T20) series when they beat Ireland by four wickets in a last-ball thriller in Dublin on Monday.

After starting out well and restricting the hosts to 79 for four in 12 overs (Sune Luus 2-24, Moseline Daniels 1-18, Ayabonga Khaka 1-27), the visitors were unable to break the 61-run, fifth-wicket stand between Isobele Joyce (31) and Kim Garth (30) that saw Ireland reach 140 for four at the end of their innings.

With the bat, South Africa recovered well after the early loss of Trisha Chetty (7) thanks to a 45-run, second-wicket partnership between Mignon du Preez and Laura Wolwaardt (24).

The former captain hit an outstanding 55 runs from 41 deliveries to pave the visitors’ way forward, but wickets falling in clumps at crucial intervals gave the home side hope.

South Africa needed 22 runs from the last two overs with Lara Goodall and interim captain Dinesha Devnarain at the crease. Between them, they scored 13 runs in the 19th, leaving nine required for the final over.

The pressure mounted when Goodall was run out for eight off seven balls, leaving the visitors needing four from the last two deliveries. Devnarain (17) kept a cool head and hit the winning runs, securing a thrilling win for her side in the end.

The second and final match of the T20 series takes place on Wednesday, 3 August.

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DU PREEZ STEPS DOWN AS PROTEAS WOMEN’S CAPTAIN

Proteas women’s captain Mignon du Preez announced on Tuesday that she will be stepping down from the captaincy in all formats with immediate effect.

Du Preez will be succeeded by Dane van Niekerk.

Du Preez cited a desire to work on her game as the main motivation for stepping down. The announcement comes a month ahead of the team’s tour to Ireland in July.

Du Preez led the Momentum Proteas in 46 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), 50 T20s and one Test match in her four years at the helm. Her greatest achievement was to lead the side to its first ever ICC Women’s World T20 semi-final in 2014 and she was also the first women’s captain to beat India and Bangladesh in ODI series away from home.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision and took a lot of introspection, but ultimately I believe that this is the best step forward not only for myself, but for the team,” Du Preez said.

“Stepping down from the captaincy role will give me an opportunity to work on my own game, which has taken a downturn in the last couple of seasons. I believe I can make a better contribution by putting runs on the board and offering support and advice to the next captain.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cricket South Africa for the faith that they have shown in me for the last five years in granting me the privilege of being the captain of the national women’s team. I would also like to thank my team mates and our management staff for all of their support over the years and for helping me make the Momentum Proteas the team that it is today.

“I would be remiss to fail to mention Momentum and my personal sponsors for their support and kindness towards me over the years. I hope that I can be an even better batter and continue to make you all proud.

“Finally, I would like to wish incoming captain, Dane van Niekerk, all the best in her new role. It is a thoroughly deserved appointment and I look forward to watching her grow in this all important role.”

Cricket South Africa (CSA) General Manager Corrie van Zyl thanked Du Preez for her contribution.

“We (as CSA) respect and accept Mignon’s decision to relieve herself of her captaincy duties and understand the reasoning behind the decision. As a senior player and now former captain, she will still have a massive supporting role to play for the new captain and in assisting in the further grooming of the youngsters coming into the national team,” he said.

“We would like to thank her for her many years of service and look forward to seeing her star continue to rise on the international stage and hope that she reaches the new goals that she has set for herself.

“At the same time, we would like to congratulate Dane van Niekerk and thank her for taking on this new role in the team. We look forward to watching her lead the team to many a victory in the future.”

Twenty-three-year-old Van Niekerk said she was both humbled and excited by the appointment.

“This is the biggest honour of my career so far,” she said.

“Captaining my country has been a dream since I began playing cricket and I am humbled that CSA have chosen me for the job. I would like to thank Mignon for paving the way and bringing the team this far. I look forward to filling her shoes as best I can and moving the team forward.”

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MOMENTUM PROTEAS BEAT WI 2-1

South Africa staged a sensational comeback in defence of a below-par total to claim a first T20 series win over West Indies and sound a warning ahead of the World T20. South Africa’s victory came less than three weeks after they beat England for the first time in a T20 and illustrated the progress the team has made since September 2014, when they were beaten 4-0 by England.

West Indies, who have not lost a series in the same period of time, will be disappointed with their failure to complete a straightforward chase, especially as they were well on course. They had reached 81 for 3 in the 15th over and even though their captain Stafanie Taylor had been bowled around her legs by Dane van Niekerk, they had their other stalwart Deandra Dottin on hand.

Dottin seemed to be striking the ball better than any of her team-mates but when she attempted a loft over long-on, she mistimed to spark a collapse. South Africa took four more wickets in the next 18 balls and then squeezed at the end to pull off a remarkable win.

On a slow pitch, run-scoring was tricky for both sides but South Africa would have felt they were at least 20 runs short at the halfway stage, especially because they had so many wickets in hand. They recovered from an early blow when Shamilia Connell had Trisha Chetty caught at slip and rebuilt cautiously through van Niekerk was joined and Mignon du Preez.

The pair found the boundary just five times but rotated strike well to score at more than a run-a-ball and put on 48 for the second wicket. When van Niekerk was bowled as she tried to slog sweep Taylor over midwicket, and with the run-rate stagnating, du Preez took it on herself to try and force the pace. She managed only to gift a catch to short midwicket.

Marizanne Kapp and Lizelle Lee also found it heavy going but with South Africa yet to reach 100 and only two overs left, they took some risks. Lee was the only batsman to clear the boundary and her efforts at the end gave South Africa something to defend but when West Indies knocked off the first 14 runs inside two overs, they would not have expected to be successful.

Moseline Daniels had Kycia Knight trapped lbw to provide some early hope but that only brought Taylor to the crease. She tried to end matters quickly with her aggressive approach and when she was bowled, Dottin took over. It was only when Dottin was caught that South Africa fought back.

Kyshona Knight departed soon after Dottin, sharp fielding resulted in the run-outs of Shermaine Campbell and Shaquana Quintyne and Shabnim Ismail took a good catch off her own bowling to give South Africa belief. Daniels and Ismail bowled tightly at the end and South Africa’s fielders were on high alert to deny West Indies.

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PROTEAS WOMEN ICC WOMEN’S WORLD T20 SQUAD ANNOUNCED

Cricket South Africa on Thursday, announced the Momentum Proteas squad that will take part in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 from 08 March to 03 April 2016 in India.

South Africa will face tough competition in Group A, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Ireland but coach, Hilton Moreeng is confident of his team’s chances to qualify out of the group stage.

“From a selection point of view and from the preparation we have done in the last two years, we think we have selected the best squad for the conditions that we will be faced with,” he said. “It’s a well-balanced squad with lots of experience and a bit of youth. We’ve given ourselves the best chance to play well and compete, as well as to qualify for the knock out phase.”

Moreeng is fortunate to have a squad that is used to playing in sub-continent conditions. He believes that the ICC Women’s Championship series that the side has been playing in mostly sub-continent conditions has helped them in their preparation for India.

“The fact that our first three series in the Women’s Championship were in the sub-continent has helped us a lot in terms of getting players used to those kinds of conditions and pitches,” he continued. “Eighty percent of the squad going to the World T20 has been exposed to sub-continent conditions, especially India, so there won’t be too many players who will be experiencing the conditions for the first time.”

In the previous World T20 (2014), South Africa knocked New Zealand out of the quarter-finals to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time ever. Moreeng believes that he has a side that can pull off another similar upset.

“Players learn all the time and what better way to learn than from the ones who have done so before. We’ve played some of the top teams in the world of late. We have just finished a series against England and are busy with one against West Indies now. The exposure to top-notch players is invaluable for what we are trying to prepare for. The confidence in the team is much higher now, we all know that on the day in a T20 match anything can happen, one over can swing the game either way so the execution of our skills on the day will be key.”

 

Momentum Proteas World T20 squad:

Mignon du Preez (captain, Northerns), Trisha Chetty (Gauteng), Odine Kirsten (Northerns), Moseline Daniels (Boland), Marizanne Kapp (Eastern Province), Dane van Niekerk (Eastern Province), Dinesha Devnarain (KZN Coastal), Chloe Tryon (KZN Coastal), Sune Luus (Northerns), Shabnim Ismail (Gauteng), Masabatha Klaas (Free State), Ayabonga Khaka (Border), Matshipi Marcia Letsoalo (Northerns), Lizelle Lee (North West), Yolani Fourie (Gauteng).

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ENGLAND WOMEN CLINCH T20 SERIES

Sarah Taylor once again played a starring role in her side’s four-wicket victory over the Momentum Proteas to clinch the three-match women’s T20 series 2-1 at the Bidvest Wanderers on Sunday.

Taylor scored 60 from 40 deliveries to steer her side to victory after South Africa set a 132-run target for them to chase in the second televised match of the series.

The hosts did well to post 131 for four at the end of their innings after they lost the wickets of Trisha Chetty (0), Dané van Niekerk (5) and Marizanne Kapp (0) in just 1.5 overs after they were put in to bat.

Captain Mignon du Preez and Lizelle Lee brought life back to the innings, sharing a 89-run, fourth-wicket partnership to move their side from six for three to 95 for four at 16.1 overs when du Preez was run out for 39 after she passed 1 000 T20 runs.

The milestones continued as Lee hit a career best, 69 not out from 61 balls and was joined by Chloe Tryon, who played a helpful cameo of 16 off 13 balls to get their side to a more respectable score.

South Africa tried to stem England’s run scoring, but they did not have enough runs on the scoreboard to defend.

Shabnim Ismail was the leading wicket taker with 3-27, but England were scoring at 8.58 runs per over, with Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont adding helpful contributions of 25 and 21 not out respectively to get their side over the line in the end.

The hosts do not have time to wallow in their disappointment as, their tour against the West Indies begins on Wednesday, 24 February.

They will play a three-match one-day international (ODI) and three-match T20 series before they depart for the ICC Women’s World T20 in India.

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