Big breakthrough for local women’s cricketer
Another local women's cricketer will soon join seven other South Africans to play in Australia's professional Women's Big Bash League.
Nadine de Klerk has described her first Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) contract as “a great step in the right direction” for her career after being signed up by the Brisbane Heat this week.
The 20-year-old former learner from Hoërskool Waterkloof will join a strong Momentum Proteas contingent in the Australian competition, which is scheduled to be played from 17 October until 29 November.
Her addition means that South Africa will have eight members of its squad featuring in the sixth edition of the popular T20 tournament.
“I’m very excited to be part of such an amazing opportunity to go play in the WBBL and it’s really a dream come true for me,” she said. I definitely think it’s one of the best tournaments and I’m excited to play against some of the best in the world and also alongside legends of the game,” she said during a recent interview.
She believes it’s a great step in the right direction for her career and that she will definitely benefit playing along experienced players and against some of her own Proteas teammates.
“It can only be good for my cricket and I think to work with different people might also help me, they might just see things differently or come with a different perspective that might work in my favour,” said De Klerk.
The youngster has already played 20 times in 20-over cricket for her country, her most recent being in the ICC T20 World Cup semi-final defeat against Australia in Sydney. Despite losing the game back in March, de Klerk impressed massively with 3/19 in the game.
“I think conditions will be good as it always is on Australian soil and I’m excited to play there. I’ve worked really hard on all aspects of my game and just tried to be the best I possibly can,” the all-rounder stated.
Confidence is a massive part of the game and according to De Klerk she changed the way she think about the game in recent times.
“With the right mindset things started falling into place for me and I’m just really happy that I can contribute to my team in any way they need me to,” she remarked.
The full list of Proteas’ representatives at the WBBL are Mignon du Preez (Melbourne Stars), Shabnim Ismail (Sydney Thunder), Marizanne Kapp (Sydney Sixers), Lizelle Lee (Melbourne Renegades), Chloe Tryon (Hobart Hurricanes), Dané van Niekerk (Sydney Sixers) and Laura Wolvaardt (Adelaide Strikers).
Their growing presence, according to De Klerk, illustrates just how much the women’s game in South Africa has improved in recent years and she is relishing coming up against her international team-mates.
With the COVID-19 pandemic having engulfed the world since March, it also meant that there was no cricket for De Klerk and her teammates since then. But she is now looking forward to start playing again.
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