Planning of Women’s Cricket World Cup begins

By Ilhaam Hoosain
21 May 2008

The South African Women’s Cricket squad will begin preparations for next year’s ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia with a training camp at the High Performance Centre from Friday, 23-25 May.

The 18 national players identified for this camp will have to impress selectors, who will announce a 14-member touring squad on Tuesday, 27 May.

The training camp will be followed by an international programme which will see the South African Women’s team tour England in August, where they will play five ODI’s and three Pro20 matches. Before they play against the England team, South Africa will play an ODI against Ireland Women on 31 July and the one-day tour match against England Academy on 04 August.

“It’s ideal preparation for us to play against one of the top four countries in the world to give us the necessary competition. The tour will also help to improve our skills and ability to compete at a higher level,” says Kerri Laing, the President of Women’s Cricket Committee.

She goes onto say that with the World Cup in mind, so much work still needs to be done and this tour will give us a hint of how far we still need to travel in achieving the required level of readiness.

“Another incentive will be for us to play one of the matches at the home of cricket, Lord’s,” says Laing.

The SA Women’s Cricket training squad:
Cri-Zelda Brits – Captain (North West), Claire Terblanche - Vice-captain (Boland), Olivia Anderson (Western Province), Susan Benade (Free State), Trisha Chetty (KwaZulu-Natal), Dinesha Devnarain (KwaZulu-Natal), Mignon du Preez (Northerns), Shandre Fritz (Western Province), Shibman Ismail (Western Province), Marizanne Kapp (Eastern Province), Ashlyn Kilowan (Western Province), Alexis le Breton (Western Province), Marcia Letsoalo (Northerns), Sunette Loubscher (Boland), Analie Minny (Free State), Alicia Smith (Boland), Magdaleen Terblanche (Gauteng) and Charlize van der Westhuizen (Northerns)

The tour itinerary:
31 July - South Africa vs Ireland – Wellington College (ODI)
04 August – England Academy vs South Africa – Reading CC (Twenty20)
06 August – England vs South Africa – Kent CCC (Canterbury)
08 August – England vs South Africa – Lord’s
11 August – England vs South Africa – TBC
14 August – England vs South Africa – TBC
18 August – England vs South Africa – Chesterfield CC
20 August – England vs South Africa – Chesterfield CC (Twenty20)
22 August – England vs South Africa – Northamptonshire CCC
23 August – England vs South Africa – Northamptonshire CCC