CSA announces Women’s squad to face England

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Sunday announced the 15-women squad that will face world’s number one team England when they arrive in South Africa in October. The tour will consist of a three-match T20 series and a three-match ODI series at Senwes Park Stadium in Potchefstroom from 17 to 31 October.



CSA Senior Cricket Manager Max Jordaan said: “The England tour is a culmination of many months of hard work and self-sacrifice from both high performance staff and players. The selected squad undoubtedly represents the best talent pool available in women’s cricket. CSA provided the necessary organisation and support structures that should allow this team to express themselves fully against the number one team in the world.



“The arrival of England presents exciting opportunities to the South African team in understanding their own depth prior the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Bangladesh.”



Captain Cri-Zelda Brits will lead a very determined  team in a tour that has been trained for for more than six months; “The team is very wary of England, we know that as the world’s number one team they won’t be holding anything back but I have every faith in the team that the coach and the selectors chose. We are at the best that we have ever been mentally and physically and we look forward to getting this tour started,” she said.



Coach Yashin Ebrahim-Hassen is happy with the selection he has made, “These girls are well deserving of their selection, their passion, commitment, hard work and loyalty to the badge has paid off. This series against the world number one team would be an excellent yardstick to assess where they and the team are at in women’s cricket. I congratulate them on their selection and wish them everything of the best in the England series. With a bit of luck hopefully we can cross that finishing line first but failing which we will endeavour to grow as a unit,” he said.



This tour will see the return of Kirsty Thomson, who missed out on the 2010 ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge through injury and veteran right hand batter Alison Hodgkinson who is making a comeback after losing form a couple of seasons ago.

“It’s great to know that hard work still pays off,” Hodgkinson said, “I have trained harder than I ever have in my life to earn back my place in this squad and I’m excited for the England tour.”



England announced their touring squad recently and Charlotte Edwards will lead the team to the South African shores.

The last time the two squads met was during the group stages of the ICC World T20 where England won by 56 runs.

This tour will serve as good preparation for South Africa ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Bangladesh which takes place in November.  Teams from fifth to tenth in the ICC Reliance Mobile ODI rankings will battle it out for a place in the tournament.



South Africa squad: Crizelda Brits (Capt),Trisha Chetty (VCapt), Shandre Fritz, Shabnim Ismail, Mignon du Preez, Kirstie Thomson, Melissa Smook, Marizaane Kapp, Dane van Niekerk, Denisha Devnarain, Masabatta Klaas, Yolandi van der Westhuizen, Alison Hodgkinson, Sunette Loubser and Chloe Tryon.



England squad: Charlotte Edwards (capt), Jenny Gunn, Tammy Beaumont, Arran Brindle, Katherine Brunt, Georgia Elwiss, Lydia Greenway, Isa Guha, Danni Hazell, Heather Knight, Laura Marsh, Susie Rowe, Sarah Taylor and Danni Wyatt.