BENONI: Proteas Women captain Laura Wolvaardt marks her 10-year anniversary as an international cricketer this month, returning to the venue where she made her debut as the Proteas Women prepare to face Pakistan in the second T20 International (T20I) in Benoni on Friday.
The clash will get underway at 18:00 SAST at Willowmoore Park in Ekurhuleni, with live coverage on SuperSport Grandstand (Ch. 201) and SABC 3. South Africa lead the series 1-0 after a dream debut from all-rounder Kayla Reyneke and contributions with bat and ball from Wolvaardt and Ayanda Hlubi secured a thrilling five-wicket victory in Potchefstroom.
Born and raised in Cape Town, Wolvaardt will return to Benoni not as a child prodigy with bucket loads of potential who took on England on 07 February 2016 in a One-Day International, but rather as a brave and fearless leader who has become one of the world’s premier batters across all formats of the game.
“It’s crazy. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years already. I still remember being a 16-year-old making my debut here in Benoni. I was just happy to get a game, let alone playing for 10 years for my country.” the 26-year-old reflected ahead of the fixture.
Over the past decade, Wolvaardt’s rapid development has mirrored the evolution of women’s cricket. Having represented the Proteas in more than 212 matches and amassed over 8,000 international runs, the current world number one batter in ODI cricket admitted she has come a long way since questioning her readiness for the international stage as a schoolgirl.
“As a 16-year-old, I didn’t have much power, kind of just had a cover drive, and was pretty one-dimensional and batted pretty slow. I don’t quite know if I was ready for international cricket at that stage yet. I’ve worked on quite a lot of areas of my game, opening a lot of spaces on the field, getting a bit stronger, working on my power hitting. I really like the way it’s evolved, and I think there’s still so much more room for improvement in the next 10 years, which is exciting.” the right-hander added.
In December 2023, Wolvaardt was appointed the permanent captain of the Proteas Women, going on to lead them as skipper and with bat in hand to two World Cup finals, beginning with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2024 and South Africa’s maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final appearance last year.
She believes the added responsibility has enhanced her game in recent years. “It’s been great for my cricket development. I totally think about the game in a different way now. Before I was happy to just watch the ball, hit the ball, thinking about myself, my game plan. Whereas now, I’m thinking about conditions, bowlers, what my bowlers are trying to do, what fields I’m trying to set.
“In the game you’re thinking so much about strategy and game plan that I’m not too worried about my batting. My batting is almost like me-time, where I can relax and just bat. I think it’s really taken my mind off the pressures almost,” she explained.
When asked what she hopes the next decade will hold in her Proteas career, Wolvaardt said: “Obviously every cricketer wants to win a World Cup. That’s the one main goal that I have in my career. I’ve come so close three times, but it’s exciting to know I still have 10 years to try again,” she added.
Proteas Women’s T20I Squad:
Laura Wolvaardt (Fidelity Titans) (Captain), Tazmin Brits (DP World Lions), Nadine de Klerk (World Sports Betting Western Province), Annerie Dercksen (Garden Route Badgers), Lara Goodall (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Masabata Klaas (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Karabo Meso (DP World Lions), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Kayla Reyneke (World Sports Betting Western Province) and Dané van Niekerk (World Sports Betting Western Province)
Fixtures – Proteas Women’s Inbound Tour against Pakistan
T20I Series
Friday, 13 February at 18:00 – 2nd T20I – South Africa vs Pakistan (Willowmoore Park, Benoni)
Monday, 16 February at 18:00 – 3rd T20I – South Africa vs Pakistan (Willowmoore Park, Benoni)
Source: cricket.co.za
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