South Africa Under-19 Women are set to launch a crucial home season with a Youth T20 Tri Series against Zimbabwe U19 and a CSA Women’s Youth XI at Chatsworth Oval in Durban from 09 to 18 January 2026.
The tournament offers nine days of high intensity cricket, with all fixtures starting at 13:00 SAST and culminating in a Sunday final on 18 January at the same venue. Coming twelve months out from the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2027, the series is positioned as a key building block in South Africa’s long term preparation plans.
The Tri-Series will see South Africa U19, Zimbabwe U19 and the CSA Women’s Youth XI play a round of T20 fixtures before the top two sides contest the final at Chatsworth Oval. With all games scheduled for afternoon starts, players will experience consistent conditions that aid tactical planning around power plays, seam movement and spin through the middle overs.
Cricket South Africa views the event as an opportunity to test talent depth while giving Zimbabwe’s next generation valuable exposure in familiar Southern African conditions ahead of global competition cycles.
Chatsworth Oval in Durban, traditionally known for offering pace and bounce with some coastal breeze, will host every match of the series, ensuring teams adapt quickly to a single set of conditions across the 10-day window.
Afternoon starts at 13:00 SAST mean pitches are likely to be at their freshest at the toss, placing a premium on seam ball bowling and disciplined batting in the first six overs. The continuity of the venue also gives coaches the chance to track how players respond to pitch wear, as wickets gradually slow and bring spinners and cutters increasingly into play later in the tournament.
South Africa have named a balanced U19 squad alongside a CSA Women’s Youth XI group, blending players with previous international age group exposure and emerging talent from provincial pathways, as highlighted in the official squad announcement.
The dual squad structure allows selectors to assess more than twenty players under match pressure, giving fringe prospects a realistic shot at forcing their way into World Cup calculations over the next 12 months. Zimbabwe’s participation further raises the standard, as their juniors continue to build on recent regional tours and high-performance camps aimed at narrowing the gap with leading women’s sides.
South Africa Under-19 Women’s squad for the Youth T20 Tri-Series against Zimbabwe U19 and the CSA Youth XI
Ashley Barnard, Chris-Mari Bezuidenhout, Jae-Leigh Filander, Miya Lalor, Karabo Meso, Anelisa Mhlongo, Ziya Mohanlall, Shelfa Mukhari, Shreeya Subbiah, Melissa van der Merwe, Mieke van Voorst, Ashleigh van Wyk, Cayleigh Wanckel, Nobubelebesisa Zwane
Women’s Youth XI squad for Tri-Series
Jemma Botha, Jezé Campher, Bruzaan Goosen, Simone Lourens, Siphokuhle Masilela, Nthabiseng Nini, Diara Ramlakan, Puseletso Sekhute, Gabriella Sequeira, Ashley Sibanda, Oluhle Siyo, Maria van der Vyfer, Diedre van Rensburg, Chanel Venter
With the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2027 now a year away, this Tri-Series forms part of an extended preparation programme that has already included several training camps and smaller domestic tournaments through 2025.
Coaches will use data from the series covering strike rates, dot ball percentages and bowling economy under pressure to refine roles, trial leadership options and identify specialists for powerplay, middle overs and death scenarios. For players, the tournament is not just about immediate results but about staking a claim for World Cup selection, learning to manage momentum in tight chases and building the resilience required for knockout cricket on the global stage.
Loves all things female cricket