The Proteas Women will convene in Gqeberha on Saturday for an intensive national camp.
The camp will take place in a bio-secure environment (BSE) until 18 December.
It will comprise of physical assessments, skills work, and inter-squad matches as the coaches and selectors finalise their plans for the upcoming series against the West Indies and the Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.
The 25 players in attendance will include Proteas players as well impressive youngsters from the High-Performance programme and national academy as they get put through their paces at the camp’s base at St George’s Park.
Head coach Hilton Moreeng explained the thinking behind the camp and how it fits into the team’s preparations for the significant challenges that lay ahead.
“The goal for us in the camp is first to make sure we continue working on the fitness and the overall competitive edge that we have had throughout the year.
“The most important thing for us, now that we have the entire squad in the country, is that we touch base since the West Indies tour [earlier in the year] and through that, we can continue working on our shortfalls and improving on our strengths as a team.
“We are also looking at the fitness assessment of the entire squad and those with injuries, we can make sure the rehab process and conditioning, including the return to play processes, are in place and that each and every player now keeps working with the understanding that the World Cup is around the corner.”
The camp also marks the return of the group of players who took part in the recently concluded Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, including Marizanne Kapp, who won the Player of the Match award after her all-round display that helped her Perth Scorchers side to the title.
During the camp, the squad’s more experienced pros will be rubbing shoulders with the rising stars of the development programmes in place during the inter-squad matches, something that excites Moreeng.
“The inter-squad matches will give us an indication of where the players are skill-wise and whether the skills we have been working on have been improving while it still gives us time, if there are one or two things we need to focus on before the World Cup.
“This is the closest we can get to having competitive cricket amongst the squad and amongst the players to make sure they stay match-fit, the competitive edge continues, and we advance as a team as we keep working.
“As a team, we are very happy and this camp will also give the selectors a good look at the entire squad and the depth of what we have in the country.”
Proteas Women camp squad: Dane van Niekerk (Eastern Province), Lizelle Lee (North West Dragons), Nondumiso Shangase (KZN Coastal) Laura Wolvaardt (Western Province), Chloe Tryon (KZN Coastal), Sune Luus (Titans), Mignon du Preez (Titans), Marizanne Kapp (Eastern Province), Ayabonga Khaka (Lions), Nonkululeko Mlaba (KZN Coastal), Lara Goodall (Western Province), Tazmin Brits (North West Dragons), Masabata Klaas (North West Dragons), Sinalo Jafta (Western Province), Nadine de Klerk (Western Province), Anneke Bosch (North West Dragons), Andrie Steyn (Western Province), Jane Winster (South Western Districts), Elize Mari Marx (Titans), Raisibe Ntozakhe (Lions), Delmi Tucker (Western Province), Tebogo Macheke (Limpopo), Palesa Mapoo (Lions), Nobulumko Baneti (Border), Faye Tunnicliffe (Western Province), Micheala Andrews (South Western Districts).
