CSA name two new caps in the Proteas squads for inbound Bangladesh tour

Cricket South Africa on Tuesday named two uncapped players for the Proteas Women's T20 squad that will take on Bangladesh. The ODI squad is unchanged from the India series that took place in February. The Proteas team will take on Bangladesh in the five-match ODI and three-match T20 international series. The tour starts from the 4th to the 20th of May 2018.



The two new caps for the T20 squad series are Tazmin Brits (North West Province) and Stacey Lackay( Western Province). The selection of wicketkeeper batswoman, Brits, and all-rounder Lackay comes as no surprise. Because the two had a wonderful domestic season for their respective clubs as they were instrumental.



Brits is enjoying a good run of form as she has scored two half-centuries (68 and 52) so far in the on-going Tri-series against England Academy and Australia Under 19 teams. She is the capatin of the SA Women's Emerging players team and she is leading by example. Lackay won the best batter award at the CSA National Women's Week after playing a vital role with both bat and ball at the national week.



Stacey Lackay after scoring 107 of 106 balls against Gauteng Women's in the final of the National Week. She was the leading run-scorer throughout the season. Picture by Western Province Cricket



 



Proteas women's coach pleased with the quality of women's cricket in the SA domestic league



The players have played a bit of cricket recently with the CSA Provincial League and the CSA Women’s National Week and it was good to see the quality of cricket that was on display as a lot of players. The current SA Emerging Women’s triangular series has also shown us that there’s a lot of exciting talent coming through.



We’re looking forward to seeing what the new faces, Tazmin Brits, and Stacey Lackay, will bring to the T20 set -up. ''Brits and Lackay are the perfect examples of hard work paying off and players putting up their hands. We hope to see that same quality of play as they have shown for their domestic teams and the Emerging team, brought into the national team space,” said the Proteas coach, Hilton Moreeng.



 



Preparation for a bumper season and T20 World Cup



Moreeng believes that this tour will play a big part in the team’s preparation for their bumper season ahead. The ODI series against Bangladesh will not form part of the ICC Women’s Championship. Therefore the hosts will look to use the series to build confidence ahead of their big tour to England in June. The tour will be an opportunity for the team to try the best suitable combo and play that will suit their style of play. Implement a perfect game plan while preparing for the ICC Women’s World T20 in the West Indies later this year.



Moreeng also stated that he is excited to see the progress made by his side since their encounter against India and that it is exciting for the team to get together and prepare for the tour coming up. “After our last tour (against India), there were a couple of skills that I wanted to see the players brush up on and sharpen up before we got back together for this tour and I’m looking forward to seeing the progress made,'' he said.



The Bangladesh series will be played across three venues in Potchefstroom, Kimberley and Bloemfontein. The team will meet for a pre-tour camp at the CSA Centre of Excellence in Pretoria from 27 April.



 



Momentum Proteas ODI squad:



Dané van Niekerk (captain, Eastern Province), Lizelle Lee (North West), Chloe Tryon (KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins), Mignon du Preez (Northerns), Shabnim Ismail (Gauteng).Ayabonga Khaka (Gauteng), Masabata Klaas (North West), Raisibe Ntozakhe (Gauteng), Suné Luus (Northerns), Laura Wolvaardt (Western Province), Andrie Steyn (Western Province), Zintle Mali (Border), Trisha Chetty (Gauteng),Marizanne Kapp (Eastern Province)



 



Momentum Proteas T20 squad:



Dané van Niekerk (captain, Eastern Province), Lizelle Lee (North West), Chloe Tryon (KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins), Mignon du Preez (Northerns), Marizanne Kapp (Eastern Province), Shabnim Ismail (Gauteng), Ayabonga Khaka (Gauteng), Masabata Klaas (North West), Raisibe Ntozakhe (Gauteng), Suné Luus (Northerns), Laura Wolvaardt (Western Province), Zintle Mali (Border), Stacey Lackay (Western Province), Tazmin Brits (North West).