Cricket United States of America (USA) has announced long-serving South African senior national women’s team head coach Hilton Moreeng as the new head coach of the USA women’s cricket team & U-19 teams. Moreeng, who previously served as the head coach of South Africa, is expected to usher in a new era of development and competitiveness for the USA women’s side.
Hilton Moreeng was serving as the head coach of the Proteas women’s cricket team for 11 years. Appointed in December 2012, he coached South Africa to so many glories, including two World Cup semi-finals in the One-Day event and a Twenty20 (T20) World Cup final, at home in 2023. His ability to build and nurture talent played a crucial role in transforming South Africa into one of the top teams in women’s cricket globally.
After his appointment, Moreeng expressed his commitment to his new role stating, “I am thrilled to join USA Cricket and eager to collaborate with both current players and emerging talent. I’m grateful to USA Cricket’s Board and Management for entrusting me with this opportunity to contribute my experience and knowledge to our growing team. My goal is to methodically build a competitive squad capable of rivalling the best in women’s cricket globally. Together, we aim to foster a culture of excellence and achievement within USA Cricket, paving the way for a successful future on the international stage.”
Moreeng emphasised his commitment to building a strong, competitive team that can perform on the global stage. Moreeng’s approach will focus on nurturing both current players and upcoming talent, aiming to build a culture of excellence and achievement. His extensive experience and successful track record with South Africa provide a solid foundation for driving the growth and success of USA women’s cricket. Hilton’s first assignment will involve preparing the team for the U19 Women’s ICC T20 World Cup scheduled for early next year.
USA Cricket Chairman of the Board, Venu Pisike, on the appointment said, “Coach Hilton brings a rich background and vast experience to USA Cricket having been a critical part of the transformation of South African women’s cricket. USA women are also at the beginning of a transformative period with an Olympics in four years’ time and we believe Hilton’s successes, diverse experiences, and understanding of challenges in an emerging cricket nation is well suited for our program.”
The USA women’s side made their debut in T20 Internationals in 2019 against Canada and have won the T20 World Cup American qualifiers in all three editions, in 2019, 2021 and 2023. The USA also participated in the Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier in 2024, but failed to progress further, losing all four of their group stage matches.
The women’s team made their ODI debut recently, in April 2024, against Papua New Guinea. Although it ended in a loss, their ODI debut showcased a glimpse of the rise of women’s cricket in the USA.
Hilton will also play a massive role in nurturing the U-19 side, who made their first-ever historic appearance in the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023, following a 4-1 series win against the Windies U19 in the lead up to the ICC event. Despite losing all three of their group stage matches in the World Cup, their participation marked a significant milestone as it was also the first-ever U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.