SA U19 Women to face Zimbabwe and CSA Youth XI

The South African Under-19 Women will host their Zimbabwean counterparts in a Youth T20 Tri-Series from 9-18 January, which will also feature an invitational Cricket South Africa (CSA) Youth XI.

All matches will start at 1pm SAST and will be played at the Chatsworth Oval in Durban, with the final scheduled for Sunday, 18 January.

The Tri-Series comes with a year to go until the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2027, as the future stars continue their preparations with vital match practice following several training camps held throughout 2025.

The SA U19 squad is headlined by Proteas Women starlet and wicketkeeper-batter Karabo Meso, who is joined by Jae-Leigh Filander, Mieke van Voorst and Ashleigh van Wyk, all of whom were part of the squad that reached the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup final earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the CSA Youth XI squad includes players from the extended SA U19 training group, with former junior Proteas also added to bolster the squad.

SA U19 Women’s head coach, Dinesha Devnarain, commented: “I'm glad that we get a series in the beginning of the year. The series is imperative; we want to test our new pool of players. This is the crop we have for the World Cup. How do we best suit their skills, put them under a little bit of strain in Durban conditions with the heat, and test their strength and conditioning capacity.

“Then we can slowly start introducing the brand of cricket, the culture, the characteristics that we look for and what we can develop.

“So this series is paramount to where we are headed for the World Cup,” the coach added.

SA U19 Women’s Convenor or Selectors, AJ Rudman said: “Competitive cricket at this level is crucial for the growth of our U19 women. Tours like this expose the players to conditions, higher intensity and pressure situations, which are all key in preparing them for a World Cup environment.

“It allows us to assess how they respond against quality opposition as we build towards the 2027 U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

“The inclusion of the CSA Youth XI is designed to create a stronger, more competitive squad that adds real value by applying pressure, sharing experience and strengthening the pipeline between the U19 and emerging levels.”

SA U19 Women Squad

Ashley Barnard (Mpumalanga), Chris-Mari Bezuidenhout (Mpumalanga), Jae-Leigh Filander (Western Province), Miya Lalor (Western Province), Karabo Meso (Central Gauteng Lions), Anelisa Mhlongo (KZN Coastal), Ziya Mohanlali (KZN Coastal), Shelfa Mukhari (Limpopo), Shreeya Subbiah (KZN Coastal), Melissa van der Merwe (Boland), Mieke van Voorst (Eastern Storm), Ashleigh van Wyk (Eastern Storm), Cayleigh Wanckel (Eastern Province), Nobubelebesisa Zwane (KZN Coastal) .

CSA Youth XI Squad

Jemma Botha (Western Province), Jezé Campher (Garden Route Badgers), Bruzaan Goosen (Eastern Storm), Simone Lourens (Titans), Siphokuhle Masilela (Eastern Storm), Nthabiseng Nini (North West), Diara Ramlakan (Central Gauteng Lions), Puseletso Sekhute (North West), Gabriella Sequeira (Titans), Ashley Sibanda (Central Gauteng Lions), Oluhle Siyo (Western Province), Maria van der Vyfer (Boland), Diedre van Rensburg (North West), Chanel Venter (Titans).

Fixtures

Friday, 9 January - First Youth T20 at 1pm - SA U19 Women vs Zimbabwe U19 (Chatsworth Oval, Durban)

Saturday, 10 January - Second Youth T20 at 1pm - SA U19 Women vs CSA Youth XI (Chatsworth Oval, Durban)

Monday, 12 January - Third Youth T20 at 1pm - SA U19 Women vs CSA Youth XI (Chatsworth Oval, Durban)

Tuesday, 13 January - Fourth Youth T20 at 1pm - CSA Youth XI vs Zimbabwe U19 (Chatsworth Oval, Durban)

Thursday, 15 January - Fifth Youth T20 at 1pm - SA U19 Women vs Zimbabwe U19 (Chatsworth Oval, Durban)

Friday, 16 January - Sixth Youth T20 at 1pm - CSA Youth XI vs Zimbabwe U19 (Chatsworth Oval, Durban)

Sunday, 18 January - Youth T20 Tri-Series Final at 1pm - TBC (Chatsworth Oval, Durban)