Botha: We won’t underestimate Dragons despite their newcomer status

World Sports Betting Western Province Women are full of confidence after a successful weekend at home, having defeated the Fidelity Titans Women in both formats, as they head to Potchefstroom for round three of the Hollywoodbets Pro Series.

The Girls in Blue will take on newly promoted North West Dragons Women at JB Marks Oval.

Both matches, the Hollywoodbets Pro50 and Pro20 are scheduled to start at 10am and will be live-streamed on Cricket South Africa’s YouTube channel.

All-rounder Jemma Botha says the team is carrying the momentum from last weekend’s victories into the JB Marks Oval fixtures and is determined to replicate their strong performance from WSB Newlands.

“After last weekend’s games and obtaining back-to-back wins, we’re obviously feeling really confident and like we can take on anybody, which is obviously a great thing,” said Botha.

“Coming back from the first weekend where we lost to SWD (Garden Route Badgers) in the 50-over, obviously, it’s a Province thing to come back even stronger and even harder and that’s what we’re doing.

“But I think slowly but surely, we are finding our feet in both formats and I just feel like the other teams should fear us because we are on that money right now.”

The 18-year-old says the team is brimming with confidence and believes that having experienced players leading from the front has been a major boost for the squad.

“It’s always nice to win, and especially when you win so convincingly, it builds not just you as a player, but you as a team as well,” she said.

“What was nice about it is that everybody contributed in their own way. Obviously, not everyone can score a hundred but even when Lara (Goodall) and Faye (Tunnicliffe) were batting, the rest of the team chipped in around them.

“It’s great to see because it shows that we’re all in this together. It’s not always going to be one player producing a spectacular innings or taking seven wickets. Everyone played their part, and that’s what being a team is all about.”

Botha adds that they are approaching the Dragons with the same mindset they take into every game, emphasizing that they won’t underestimate them just because they are a newly promoted side.

“The kind of approach we’re taking to them is the same that we’ve taken to all the other teams,” she adds.

“We aren’t in the game of underestimating the underdogs because yes, we may have underestimated SWD and look where that got us.

“So, we just keep doing what we’re doing, take it day by day, play them as we play any other team and come out with the same amount of intent and all those things as we would any other team.”

Fixtures

Saturday at 10am: Hollywoodbets Pro50

North West Dragons Women v World Sports Betting Western Province Women - JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom

Garden Route Badgers Women v DP World Lions Women - Recreation Ground, Oudtshoorn

Sunday at 10am: Hollywoodbets Pro20

North West Dragons Women v World Sports Betting Western Province Women - JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom

Garden Route Badgers Women v DP World Lions Women - Recreation Ground, Oudtshoorn