The Ireland Women embark on an exciting tour of South Africa, kicking off with a three-match T20I series against the Proteas Women starting tomorrow. The opener takes place on December 5 at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, followed by the second match on December 7 at Boland Park in Paarl, and wrapping up on December 10 at Willowmoore Park in Benoni. These fast-paced encounters across scenic venues promise thrilling action as Ireland tests its mettle against South Africa’s home firepower.
After the T20Is, the series shifts to a three-match ODI leg on December 13 at Buffalo Park Stadium in East London, December 16 at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, and the finale on December 19 at DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. This white-ball showdown spans South Africa’s diverse cricket heartlands, offering fans a mix of day-night battles and high-stakes chases. With both squads gearing up, expect competitive cricket under the Southern African sun.
Players to watch out for :
Laura Wolvaardt (SA-W)
Laura Wolvaardt has firmly established herself as a cornerstone of the Proteas batting line-up, particularly excelling in the longer white-ball format with staggering consistency. Her Women’s ODI career boasts an impressive tally of 5222 runs across 119 matches at a fantastic average of 50.69, highlighting her reliability and ability to play long innings, which includes 11 centuries and 38 half-centuries. While her Women’s T20 International stats show a slightly faster tempo, with 2088 runs from 83 matches at a brisk strike rate of 115.10, she maintains a strong average of 34.80 and has registered a WT20I hundred, demonstrating her capacity to adapt and anchor both formats with elegant stroke play.
Dane van Niekerk (SA-W)
Dane van Niekerk represented the true definition of a world-class all-rounder, with her career stats illustrating her dual threat across both formats. In 107 Women’s ODIs, she accumulated 2175 runs and was a consistent wicket-taker, clinching 138 wickets with a phenomenal average of 19.14 and two five-wicket hauls. Her impact in the T20I arena was just as significant, scoring 1877 runs and taking 65 wickets in 86 matches; though her WT20I batting strike rate of 94.94 is on the lower side, her reliable leg-break bowling kept the economy tight while regularly contributing wickets to the team’s cause.
Nonkululeko Mlaba (SA-W)
Nonkululeko Mlaba is the specialist spin force, and her stats clearly show her primary role as a restrictive and penetrative slow left-arm orthodox bowler. In the 46 Women’s ODIs she has featured in, Mlaba has captured 51 wickets at an acceptable average of 33.52 and a tight economy rate of 4.83, proving her effectiveness in drying up the runs and building pressure. However, her true strength shines in the shortest format, where she has taken 53 wickets in 63 WT20Is at an excellent economy rate of just 6.25, making her a crucial operator for holding opponents back during the powerplay and middle overs.
Gaby Lewis (IRE-W)
Gaby Lewis is a premier batter for Ireland, primarily focused on anchoring and accelerating the innings across formats, with her T20I record being particularly impressive. In Women’s T20 Internationals, she has amassed 2723 runs over 103 innings with an excellent strike rate of 117.37, including two centuries and 17 half-centuries, making her a vital cog in the shortest format. While her Women’s ODI career shows solid consistency, scoring 1743 runs in 58 innings at an average of 32.27 with 14 half-centuries, her higher strike rate and volume of runs in WT20Is indicate her strongest suit is the dynamic, fast-paced nature of T20 cricket.
Orla Prendergast (IRE-W)
Orla Prendergast is a highly valuable all-rounder who demonstrates significant potential with both bat and ball, especially in the 50-over format. In Women’s ODIs, she has been a key contributor with the bat, scoring 1069 runs in 39 innings at a strong average of 32.39, including one century (a highest score of 122). Her bowling has also been effective, securing 25 wickets in 29 innings in WODIs, showing good balance. In WT20Is, she has tallied 1546 runs in 66 innings at a brisk strike rate of 121.25 and has taken 53 wickets in 57 innings, highlighting her adaptability and consistent wicket-taking ability in the shortest format.
Arlene Kelly (IRE-W)
Arlene Kelly is a bowling all-rounder whose primary role is to provide breakthroughs, with her off-spin being particularly potent in T20Is. Her Women’s ODI bowling figures are very strong, having taken 40 wickets in 32 innings with an average of 30.52 and two four-wicket hauls. She is even more destructive in the T20I format, where she has claimed 73 wickets in 55 matches at an excellent average of 14.21 and a great economy rate of 6.00, which includes a best bowling figure of 5/12 and two four-wicket hauls. While her batting contributions are modest—scoring 392 runs in WODIs and 135 runs in WT20Is—her consistent ability to pick up wickets makes her an invaluable asset to the Irish side.
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.