Durban North resident pursues Protea dream
Nicole De Klerk, an educator at Chelsea Preparatory School, said it was a privilege to represent the team.
DURBAN North resident, Nicole de Klerk recently represented the South African Emerging Women’s team against Thailand in a 50-over and T20 game series at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom.
De Klerk, an educator at Chelsea Preparatory School, said it was a privilege to represent the team after the return of international women’s cricket fixtures to this venue for the first time since 2019.
“This was an amazing experience. It has been a lifelong dream to represent the Protea women’s team and I feel this was a step towards attaining that dream. I opened the batting in the series and it was really a chance to prove myself and improve on my own game. Our coach, Dinesha Devnarain and assistant coach for the SA emerging women’s team, Angelique Taai really helped me settle in and soak in the atmosphere over the series of games.
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“One of the highlights for me was scoring a half century in a 100 run partnership, but also watching the team and cheering them on during the series. We won the limited overs series and lost narrowly in the T20 series but, overall, it was a massive learning curve for me,” she said.
De Klerk, who represents the KZN women’s cricket team, said the increasing television coverage of women’s cricket games will inspire younger generations.
“Being able to watch the women’s version of the Big Bash, IPL and The Hundred has been huge. The reputation of women’s cricket continues to grow and thrive nationally, and all over the world. I think we’ve reached a point where women’s and girls’ cricket has never been stronger and that is so important for the future of the sport. I hope that my journey can inspire other young girls to take up cricket,” she said.
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