The South African women’s cricket team, the Proteas, finds themselves ranked as underdogs as they prepare to take on England in their World Cup opener tomorrow in Guwahati. With only one win against England since their heart-wrenching semi-final defeat at the World Cup in Christchurch four years ago, the stakes are high as they step back onto the world stage.
In the six One Day Internationals (ODIs) that have followed their last encounter, England has claimed victory in five, reinforcing their dominance. Despite this challenging historical context, there is a renewed sense of optimism within the Proteas camp, sparked by a recent success in Kimberley where they secured a six-wicket victory over England during the series last December. This opening match under the guidance of new coach Mandla Mashimbyi marks a fresh chapter for the Proteas, who have welcomed several young players into their ranks, injecting new energy and enthusiasm into the squad.
Allrounder Chloe Tryon expressed confidence in the team’s evolution, saying, “I think the team has changed a lot over the last couple of years, so I’m not looking at too much of that stats. We’ve got some young players coming in, but we’ve got a lot of experienced players, and I think that everyone’s just taken upon their role really beautifully.”
An essential part of this new dynamic is the team’s preparation, which Tryon notes has been thorough. “I think at the end of the day, we’re going into a World Cup where we’re playing the best in the world. It’s an opening game, so there’s a lot of pressure on everyone, but just making sure that we put up our hands and play our best cricket. I’m not really worried about stats that happened before,” she said.
While the Proteas face an uphill battle against a formidable England team led by the exceptional Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Tryon remains acutely aware of the challenges ahead. “As a unit, they’re just really that strong. I think they’re led by one of the best all-rounders in the world in their captain, and I think she leads the way perfectly. I think everyone just feeds off her. I think every single one of them are match winners,” she said, emphasising the need for a strong performance from the Proteas.
Sure enough, Tryon’s own form has been promising, bolstered by an unbeaten 45 runs in the recent warm-up match against Pakistan. The team is counting on a robust middle-order to alleviate the pressure on its traditionally strong top order, with contributions from players like Marizanne Kapp, Annerie Dercksen, and Anneke Bosch. “I think we’ve got a really good line-up. We bat really deep, which is really important in a 50-over tournament like this,” Tryon said.