Devnarain reflects on SA U19 Women's bronze medal in Nigeria

South Africa Under-19 Women head coach Dinesha Devnarain reflected on a lesson-filled campaign following her team’s third-place finish at the recently concluded Patricia Kambarami Cup in Nigeria, as the side continues to build towards next year’s ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

Led by captain Mieke van Voorst, who scored 208 runs in six innings at an average of 41.6 and a strike rate of 131, the SA U19s showed encouraging progress throughout the tournament. Their campaign included a win over Ghana and two victories against Zimbabwe Under-19, with their only defeats coming at the hands of finalists Nigeria and eventual champions Rwanda.

Devnarain highlighted the team’s overall showing, pointing to both growth and areas of improvement.

“Finishing third is not where we ultimately want to be but it forms an important part of our journey. There were moments where we showed the identity of how we want to play but we weren’t consistent enough across key phases of the game.

“We are also aware that we were competing against teams like Rwanda and Nigeria, who spend a lot more time together and are senior women’s sides. Having said that, we had two very strong contests against them where we fell just short, which shows we are not far off.”

The coach also added that the semi-final defeat, where South Africa lost by seven wickets, was a key learning moment for the group.

“What was disappointing for us was that our worst performance came in the semi-final, which is a key moment in the tournament. That’s an area we need to reflect on and how we show up in must-win situations.

“One of the biggest positives for me was the behavioural growth of the group. The girls were consistently placed in uncomfortable situations throughout the tournament, and what was really encouraging was that they continued to show up and compete.”

Van Voorst’s leadership was central to the campaign, with the all-rounder finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament behind Zimbabwe’s Beloved Biza (238 runs), while also contributing with the ball. There were also notable contributions across the squad, with Ashleigh van Wyk (eight wickets), Siphokuhle Masilela (73 runs) and Daneli Boshoff (80 runs, six wickets) playing key roles.

“Mieke has been really good for us, especially from a performance point of view. She led from the front and consistently looked to contribute in key moments. It was also really pleasing to see contributions coming from different players across the group. At this level, it’s important that we don’t rely on one or two individuals but rather build a team that can collectively step up.”

Looking ahead, Devnarain emphasised the value of the competition in the team’s readiness for the U19 World Cup.

“It was extremely important for us. It gives us a clear picture of where we are as a group and what is required to compete consistently at an international level.”

SA U19 Women Squad

Ashley Barnard (Mpumalanga), Daneli Boshoff (Boland), Jezé Campher (SWD). Jae-Leigh Filander (Western Province), Bruzaan Goosen (Eastern Storm), Miya Lalor (Western Province), Siphokuhle Masilela (Eastern Storm), Ziya Mohanlall (KZN Coastal), Kananelo Mokoena (Eastern Storm), Shelfa Mukhari (Limpopo), Rethabile Nthoba (Free State), Mieke van Voorst (Eastern Storm), Ashleigh van Wyk (Eastern Storm), Chanel Venter (Titans), Cayleigh Wanckel (Border)

SA U19 Women’s Results - NCF Women’s T20I Invitational 2026

South Africa U19 won by 99 runs

SA U19: 168/4 after 20 overs; M van Voorst 50 (34), S Masilela 37 (44); K Awuah 2/22, E Sagoe 1/26

Ghana: 69 all out after 19.3 overs; K Awuah 12 (18), R Salia 12 (29); M van Voorst 3/1, Z Mohanlall 2/19

Rwanda won by 1 run

Rwanda: 101/7 after 14 overs; C Umutoniwase 26 (21), F Utagushimaninde 24 (25); D Boshoff 2/19, A van Wyk 2/22

SA U19: 100/4 after 14 overs; M van Voorst 34 (27), A Bernard 21 (15); A Ikuzwe 2/21, D Bimenyimana 1/16

South Africa U19 won by 28 runs

SA U19: 145/7 after 20 overs; A Barnard 40 (29), D Boshoff 25 (17); T Garutsa 2/16, S Museka 2/26

Zimbabwe U19: 117/8 after 20 overs; C Mutasa 35 (31), B Biza 34 (40); A van Wyk 3/18, K Mokoena 2/15

Match Tied (Nigeria won the Super Over by 1 run)

SA U19: 133/7 after 20 overs; M van Voorst 69 (47), S Masilela 20 (15); A Muheebat 2/17, P Usen 2/16

Nigeria: 133/3 after 20 overs; L Piety 66 (35), C Chukwuonye 26 (43); B Goosen 1/17, J Campher 1/28

Nigeria: 10/0 after 1 over; L Piety 5* (3), S Sunday 4* (3); M van Voorst 0/10

SA U19: 9/1 after 1 over; D Boshoff 5* (2), M van Voorst 4 (4); A Muheebat 1/9

Semi-final 1: Nigeria won by 7 wickets

SA U19: 66 all out after 17 overs; D Boshoff 16 (12), A Barnard 15 (30); L Ude 3/6 P Usen 2/18

Nigeria: 67/3 after 9.3 overs; L Piety 18* (8), V Igbinedion 18 (12); D Boshoff 1/4, Z Mohanlall 1/26

Third-place Play-off: South Africa U19 won by 70 runs

SA U19: 133/5 after 20 overs; M van Voorst 52 (45), D Boshoff 23* (17); C Mutasa 2/14, T Garutsa 2/24

Zimbabwe U19: 63/8 after 20 overs; N Nyika 18 (50), T Garutsa 10 (17); D Boshoff 2/8, A van Wyk 2/12