The defending champions, Oval Invincibles, currently seeded 4th in the ongoing 3rd edition of The Hundred (Women’s), recently suffered a significant hit as their captain, Dane van Niekerk, was ruled out of the competition due to an injury. The Invincibles have announced a replacement, securing the services of an emerging South African all-rounder, aiming for her to spark a potential turnaround in the teams’ performance.
Skipper Dane van Niekerk has been sidelined for the rest of The Hundred (Women’s) owing to a right thumb fracture. The injury occurred during the Invincibles’ win against Manchester Originals, and subsequent scans revealed an intra-articular fracture necessitating surgery. Suzie Bates, who led the team to championship defense in the previous edition, has again assumed the captaincy reins.
The Oval Invincibles have named 23-year-old South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk as the replacement for Dane. Nadine emerged onto the international stage in 2017 and has since featured in 61 international matches across formats. With 39 appearances in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), she has scored 362 runs, with a highest score of 37*, and has scalped 29 wickets, including the best bowling figures of 3/7.
Oval Invincibles have announced an injury replacement for Dane Van Niekerk. #CricketTwitter #TheHundred pic.twitter.com/BudFHdq2z5
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 15, 2023
Nadine spent the last few months in England, playing domestic cricket, which helped her secure this gig. She made her debut for The Blaze during the English domestic season and made her mark in both formats. In the 20-over Charlotte Edwards Cup, she contributed 83 runs and emerged as the leading wicket-taker with an impressive tally of 15 wickets. Meanwhile, in the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Nadine has accumulated 104 runs and is currently seeded 3rd in the wicket-takers list with 13 dismissals.
Early in the domestic season, Nadine garnered attention with her remarkable 7-wicket haul against The Diamonds, a performance highlighted by crucial dismissals including Lauren Winfield-Hill, Hollie Armitage, and Chloe Tryon. High on confidence and form, Nadine de Klerk and the Oval Invincibles have no reason to worry. In her debut season in The Hundred, Nadine will make look to leave a strong and lasting impression, building upon her recent successes.
Commencing their title defense, two-time champions, Oval Invincibles faced an unideal start with their opening game abandoned. Presently, having completed 5 matches, they hold the 4th position, securing a couple of wins and losses each. Under the captaincy of Suzie Bates, the Invincibles secured a win in their last outing and will look to capitalize on this momentum. With 3 matches remaining, the Invincibles are poised to seize a chance in the knockouts, strengthened by the addition of Nadine, who is expected to inject the team with the missing spark.