  KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Women will look to continue with their unbeaten streak when they clash with Gauteng Women in the semi finals of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Women’s Provincial League on Saturday, 6 March in Lenasia. KZN cruised into the semi-finals after winning all of their round robin games and finished top of the Central region log with forty points, and a net run-rate of 3.21.
Coach, Horatius Sokhanyile, is delighted with his team’s progress to date: “We are of course pleased with the ladies’ performance this season and especially in this tournament. Their performance has shown the yard stick of our hard work. To come back from last season’s performance the way they did shows the mindset of the team.”
KZN also boast the top two bowlers in the league, Chloe Tryonne and Rasika Maharaj, and also have two batters lying in fourth and sixth in the batting averages, Nikita Sole and Trisha Chetty showing their worth with the willow.
Sokhanyile had special praise for Maharaj and Tryonne: You have to watch out for Rasika Maharaj and Chloe Tryonne, their performance in bowling and batting has been a revelation.”
While KZN go into the semi-finals with a lot of confidence, they refuse to underestimate their opponents, Gauteng, the leading team on the Highveld log. A good strategy will never go amiss and the coach knows where they have to work hardest, “My ladies are aware of the four top players in Gauteng’s line-up. Our line of bowling attack will be one inch outside off stump,” he explained.
Regardless of the result, it will prove to be a semi-final to remember, with some of the top female cricketers in the country battling it out. In the second semi-final, Western Province take on Northerns, who finished second on the Highveld log and progressed by virtue of the highest run-rate.
Teams for Semi-finals:
KZN: Denisha Devnarain (Captain); Trisha Chetty; Nadine Moodley; Nivasha Ramnath; Hayleigh Wheeler; Chloe Tryonne; Prudence Gcabashe; Nicole Nel; Rasika Maharaj; Kayleigh Taap; Nikkita Sole; Deyanka Naidoo
Gauteng: Cri-Zelda Brits (Captain), Kirstie Thomson, Savannah Cordes, Nicole Daniels, Yumna Plowker, Morgan Prim, Jameelah Shaikjee, Celeste Niehaus, Beverley Chlulee, Bennita Van Der Merwe, Nonkhululeko Thabethe, Shaakira Mohammed, Hester Watson, Tanya Brits
Western Province: tbc
Northerns: Charlize Van Der Westhuizen (Captain), Marcia Letsoalo, Lerato Malesa, Mignon Du Preez, Maria Makhubo, Melisa Smook, Kay Harichand, Dane Van Niekerk, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp ,Innocentia Konyane (wk), Boitumelo Maboa |