BRISTOL, England - Captain Dané van Niekerk and the SA women’s cricket team are already sizing up their opponents after the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the schedule for the upcoming
taking place in the West Indies in November.
South Africa will begin their quest for glory when they face Sri Lanka on November 12 in their opening match of Group A, before taking on the ICC Women’s World Cup winners England and the defending champions West Indies, respectively.
The Proteas will finish off their round-robin fixtures against the winner of the Women’s World T20 Qualifier taking place in the Netherlands from July 7 to 14, which features the SA’s recent opponents, Bangladesh along with Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Thailand, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates.
Van Niekerk is eagerly awaiting the T20 spectacle, as she revels in the opportunity to lead her country into another global showcase while backing her side’s overall quality in the shorter format.
She has more dismissals than anyone else in Women's ODIs, with 151 in her 105 matches for South Africa.
Happy 30th birthday @trisha_chetty! pic.twitter.com/oQACLWJFfF
— ICC (@ICC) June 26, 2018
“We love playing in the West Indies,” she said. “It’s quite special, you don’t see places like that very often. I’m really excited because we enjoy playing Twenty20 cricket. I think we have a very dynamic side. We have hitters, we have runners, we have variation in the bowling attack as well. We are a free-spirited team and we enjoy it because we can express ourselves.”
All 23 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live to maintain the momentum and focus of the women’s game, with the Decision Review System (DRS) also being confirmed to be used for the first time in any ICC World T20 event, ensuring consistency in the use of technology in top world-level events. Group B of the 10-team tournament will feature three-time champions Australia, alongside India, New Zealand, Pakistan and the runners-up of the qualifier, with all the matches taking place across three venues in the Caribbean.
It doesn’t get better than this weather wise. It’s an absolute belter in Bristol as the #ProteasWomen continue preparation ahead of their clash vs New Zealand this Thursday. Mood in the camp is as sunny as the day 😄😁. #WeAre #AlwaysRising pic.twitter.com/VxuX1ZO79t
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) June 26, 2018