Proteas Women begin test prep with red ball camp

In preparation for an international summer that will feature two women’s Test matches on home soil, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today named an extended Proteas Women squad for a national red-ball camp from 27-30 September in Tshwane.

The national training camp is the first of two focused on preparing the group for the upcoming Test against India from 9-12 December at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, before South Africa take on Australia in Potchefstroom in March next year.

The first camp will be held at Irene Cricket Club in Centurion and will feature 28 nationally contracted and Emerging Academy players, as well as identified players from the Hollywoodbets Pro Series.

The wider group will join a number of Test-capped players, including captain Laura Wolvaardt and several members of the squads that featured in South Africa’s last three Test matches against England, Australia and India between 2022 and 2024.

Proteas Women head coach Mandla Mashimbyi commented: “This is another great chapter for the Proteas Women as a group. Preparing for and playing red-ball cricket is something that excites us as players and coaches. We are a team that is always eager to learn and grow as cricketers and the longer format of the game goes a long way towards helping us achieve that continuous development.

“We’ve purposefully cast the net wide with the players we have invited to the camp, with the aim of building a solid base of cricketers we can look to when it comes to the skills and mentality required to be successful in red-ball cricket and beyond.

“Another important goal for us is simply spending more time together as a squad and continuing to grow the culture within the group. It also gives us an opportunity to enhance our technical and tactical blueprint, which is not only applicable to the longer format but will also help us prepare for the challenges ahead in One-Day International and T20 International cricket.

“In terms of the work we’ll be doing, the first camp will largely focus on the various skills required for Test cricket before we look to put those into practice with a training match during the second camp.”

Proteas Women National Training Camp Squad

Laura Wolvaardt (Fidelity Titans), Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (DP World Lions), Alexandra Candler (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Izel Cilliers (Garden Route Badgers), Nadine de Klerk (Yesplay Western Province Cobras), Annerie Dercksen (Garden Route Badgers), Lara Goodall (Yesplay Western Province Cobras), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Nicolien Janse van Rensburg (Garden Route Badgers), Leah Jones (Yesplay Western Province Cobras), Yasmeen Khan (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Masabata Klaas (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Simoné Lourens (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Tebogo Macheke (Fidelity Titans), Eliz-Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans), Karabo Meso (DP World Lions), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Seshnie Naidu (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Nthabiseng Nini (Warriors), Luyanda Nzuza (Fidelity Titans), Kayla Reyneke (Yesplay Western Province Cobras), Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Tumi Sekhukhune (DP World Lions), Miané Smit (Fidelity Titans), Faye Tunnicliffe (Yesplay Western Province Cobras) and Caitlin Wyngaard (Fidelity Titans).