The first-ever group of cricket players who will make up South Africa’s Under 19 Women’s team had their capping ceremony in Cape Town Sunday night. And the first assignment for this new squad will be Cricket South Africa’s Women’s T20 Super League which got underway at the Newlands on Monday morning.
Receiving a call-up to represent your country at the highest level is no doubt a dream shared by sportsmen and women the world over. And the gravity of that occasion was not lost on this group of young cricketers who will fly the flag for South Africa when they host, the inaugural U19 Women’s World Cup in January next year.
South African Under-19 team vice-captain, Madison Landsman says this is so special to all of the cricketers and it is something that they have been working toward since they started playing.
“I keep saying it there aren’t really any words to describe it. The green and gold are so special to all of us cricketers and it is something that we have been working toward since we started playing. It’s something that is just incredible that caps have the SA flag on it’s a complete honour.”
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
The first-ever #SAW19 squad for the inaugural ICC Women’s Under-19 #T20WorldCup will be led by Oluhle Siyo 🇿🇦
Congratulations Ladies‼️#BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/gcBvIeRD2J
— Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) December 6, 2022
CSA unveils country’s first Under 19 Women’s squad: 6 December 2022
To give them a taste of competitive cricket, the Under 19 team will also participate in CSA’s Women’s T20 Super League.
#WSL4 gets underway today‼️
Head down to Six Gun Grill Newlands and watch the best Women’s players in action 🏏
Catch it LIVE here 📺 https://t.co/yOczsSCRoS#BePartOfIt #SummerOfCricket pic.twitter.com/bS3Xr6Vl3q
— Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) December 12, 2022
The League, which will run from today until December 16th, with three matches a day features top provincial players as well as members of the senior women’s Proteas team.
South African under 19 team couch, Dinesha Devnarain says they expect flair and an expression of skill.
“Definitely expect flair and an expression of skill, they are a good bunch of girls at that age the amount of cricket that they talk is quite exciting but you look at phases of the game if they can play 20 overs of good cricket we are not there yet, especially in the WSL but you will see stages of brilliance and heart before a ball has been bowled that these girls are not going down without a fight.”
This tournament will also help the players in this fledgling squad with some much-needed game time, ahead of the five-match T20- series against India at the end of the month.
South African under 19 captain, Oluhle Siyo says they have been training the whole year until now.
“We have been training the whole year up until this point, we have got our own benchmarks, our own expressive brand of cricket we have been working on. I think that’s going to blow people away they aren’t going to expect us to come in so hard and so aggressive and that’s what’s going to be a big factor this week our brand of cricket is entertaining.”
Playing in the opening match, of the four-day League this morning, the U19’s lost their opening match against Dane van Niekerk’s Starlights, by nine wickets.
