The South African women’s cricket team is determined to make the most of their opportunities in the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup against the defending champions, England.
The Proteas have been one of the best-performing sides in the world cup in New Zealand, but they have to prove that they can win on the biggest stage against the world’s best. Should they beat England in the semis, Australia awaits them in the final, after they thrashed the West Indies by 157 runs in the first semi-final.
While the Proteas are hard at work in Christchurch, back home their efforts have not gone unnoticed. The team will enter the semi-finals knowing just who they represent and what they are playing for. Captain Sune Luus never thought she would be leading such a prominent team in such a high-profile match.
“It’s obviously a big honour, something I never thought I would be doing, especially so soon in my career. So tomorrow, it’s going to be a big game and I think there is probably going to be a couple of tears at the beginning of the game. It’s a massive opportunity to make history in South Africa and change a lot of lives back home as well and for us as players so very excited for tomorrow with some butterflies as well but that’s something we’ll manage when the time comes,” says Suné Luus, Proteas captain.
Ever since this team turned professional, the women’s game has grown and the spotlight is now firmly on a Proteas team with a habit getting wins in tightly contested matches. In the past few years few national sides have grown quite like this side.
“It’s become a team effort with everybody stepping up at the right times and everybody has been taking responsibility when they are out there in the middle and they have to do a job that’s been our biggest thing normally we would just kind of give up but I think over the past few years we have shown the fight. We have shown the character and the biggest thing for us is people taking responsibility for what they are doing like the other night Nignion was there and she knew she had to take it deep as possible and she took that responsibility on herself to take it as deep as possible and to get us over the line so that has definitely been something that has stood out the last couple of years,” Luus explains.
With the best batter in this world cup in Laura Wolvaardt, a bowler with a knack for taking crucial wickets in Shabnim Ismail and an all-rounder that clinches games in Marizanne Kapp, this Proteas side has players primed for the big occasion when the match could rest on one special play.
“If you can take that brilliant catch or save that extra run or two, I think that will definitely be the difference tomorrow because as we have seen every single game has been extremely close at this world cup and I don’t think tomorrow is going to be any different so if we have the opportunity to have that moment of brilliance tomorrow in the field somewhere I think that would definitely help,” Luus elaborates.
Sport often throws up fixtures that give sides a second chance, this is true for the Proteas as they get an opportunity to put to rest the memories of a 2017 semi-final defeat to England, who would go on to win the world cup. However the Proteas are a completely different entity now, and barely give the 2017 world cup any thought at all.
“Ah no we have not brought that up I think that is five years ago teams have changed players have grown a lot since that semi-final and we have become a way better team in the last five years so that’s definitely in the past and we look to tomorrow as a whole new game in a whole new world cup so we just take it as they are going to come,” Luus added.
This world cup has already been a huge success for the Proteas, however as evidenced by the performances, the team didn’t come to New Zealand to just take part, and against England in the semi-finals they will be arguing their case again.
