Proteas women feeling the heat in Barbabos

The Proteas women face a tough challenge in the West Indies according to head coach, Hilton Moreeng. Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

The Proteas women face a tough challenge in the West Indies according to head coach, Hilton Moreeng. Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Published Sep 14, 2018

Share

CAPE TOWN - Proteas Women’s coach Hilton Moreeng is looking forward to some intense battles with a strong West Indies team on the upcoming limited-overs series in the Caribbean.

The Proteas arrived on the islands this week and are preparing for a three-match One-Day International (ODI) and five-match T20 International series. The team have had two training sessions since their arrival in Barbados.

Moreeng believes last year’s demolition of the Windies at the 2017 ICC World Cup in England is consigned to the past. The Proteas skittled the Windies for just 48 before steamrolling to a 10-wicket victory at Leicester.

“They are a very strong side. Playing on home soil, they are a very proud team," he said. “We know that it’s going to be a difficult tour because they play well under their conditions. They are also very well led by the experience of Stefanie Taylor so no, you can’t take them lightly. What happened in the World Cup is history. This ODI series is very critical for both teams for qualification for 2021 and both teams are aware of that,” Moreeng said.

A warm-up match was scheduled for yesterday against an Invitational side that will also assist in preparing for the first ICC Women’s Championship match on Sunday, which is vital for getting points towards direct qualification for the 2021 ICC Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.

“We’re very excited,” Moreeng said. “The last two days have been good for us. We had extreme heat on day one and you could see a few players were under pressure regarding it and they realized these are conditions that they have to acclimatize to.

Congratulations to the Proteas on a comprehensive, 135-run win over Barbados. THANK YOU ladies for the great game. Next stop, the Windies this Sunday in the first ODI. #WomensWarmUp pic.twitter.com/36iEktjHAa

— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) September 13, 2018

“We’re very happy we were able to come earlier to be able to prepare for that. The second day saw a bit of a rain disruption but at the end of the day we were able to get some practice which was very good in preparation for our warm-up game.

“Yes, wickets and conditions are very different from what we’re used to, so it’s very important for each and every player to be given an opportunity to prepare and get time in the middle.”

Cape Argus

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Related Topics: