Latest news with #Mashimbyi
Daily Maverick
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
‘Experienced' Marizanne Kapp's welcome return to boost stuttering Proteas Women
The Proteas Women will be boosted by the inclusion of star all-rounder Marizanne Kapp when they face the West Indies. The Proteas Women had a dire 50-over tri-series tour of Sri Lanka at the start of the month – winning only one of their four matches – but now have star all-rounder Marizanne Kapp back in the squad hoping to make a change. The Proteas will tackle West Indies in Barbados throughout June in a six-match white-ball tour, hoping for an improved performance. The last time South Africa won back-to-back cricket matches was in the T20 World Cup in October 2024 – with only two sporadic victories since. From that point, they had a seven-match, all-format tour against England in which they only won one match and then more recently their singular victory against Sri Lanka in a tri-series that included India. Head coach Mandla Mashimbyi came on board halfway through the series against England and arguably the team's most important player, Kapp, was rested for the ODI tour in Sri Lanka. With the Cricket World Cup in India starting in September, the excuses are beginning to dry up. 'Sometimes things have to go wrong for you to get them right,' Mashimbyi said about his ambitions for success at the Cricket World Cup. Kapp's addition to the side will help ensure things go right more often. 'You can never underestimate the value of an experienced player in your squad,' Mashimbyi said of Kapp's return to the national fold 'Based on the plans that were had for Marizanne, in terms of her fitness block and to make sure by the time we get to the World Cup she'll be where she needs to be – that was most important for us at this time.' Besides experience, 35-year-old Kapp adds quality swing bowling with the new ball as well as runs in the middle order – areas in which the team struggled in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 'Having her back in the squad is something I'm looking forward to seeing,' Mashimbyi added. 'Seeing how she operates within the team environment and also the experience that she brings.' Possible wildcard In place of Kapp as well as the ill Anneke Bosch, youngsters Karabo Meso, Seshnie Naidu and Miané Smit were given a run. 'One of the main things we're trying to do as well is create depth within the squad, knowing that anybody coming into the squad can impact the team positively,' Mashimbyi said. Meso and Smit are with the team again for the tour of West Indies, while Naidu has been dropped. Bosch has also not recovered in time for the tour. While Mashimbyi has not been afraid to turn to youth in his short time as coach thus far, he has also not ruled out calling on South Africa's eighth-most-experienced player in the 50-over format. Former captain Dané van Niekerk made a u-turn on her international retirement in 2024 and was aiming to make a return to the international stage at the World Cup in September. That looks unlikely at this stage but not out of the realm of possibility, according to Mashimbyi. 'We are not in a position to say that she can make it or not,' he said. 'Anything can happen. In terms of her being in the plans, I've had a chat with her in February about the things that we require for her to put her name back into the hat. 'I'm going to have to have a follow-up chat with her regarding what she thinks going forward. 'In terms of that, she was not in the plans initially, but you can never count anybody out. When the opportunity presents itself and she's the one that's available to make the team, or she's fit enough, or she's where she needs to be… we can't control that.' Youngster Smit and Suné Luus are currently the two top-order batters who bowl spin in the squad. Neither has made the position completely her own, however. Smit is only two matches into her international career and Luus hasn't scored a half-century in the format since September 2023. 'These tours are not casting [any names] in stone,' Mashimbyi said. 'It's to create depth and to see what other players can do. 'I'll never count a player out. Everybody in domestic cricket, who has done well, is still eligible to play in the upcoming World Cups.' Van Niekerk has a batting average of 36.25 and a bowling average of 19.14, with 138 scalps with her legbreaks, in international cricket. She was in solid form for Western Province Women as well in the past season, scoring a 64-ball century against South Western Districts Women in a T20 clash, which was her second-last match of the season. DM
Daily Maverick
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Breakthrough moments: Annerie Dercksen shines in Proteas women's tri-series amidst growing pains
They had a disappointing month in Sri Lanka, but coach Mandla Mashimbyi and the team remain focused on the World Cup. The Proteas Women's recent 50-over tri-series struggle against Sri Lanka and India is the short-term pain, which they hope to match with long-term gains. South Africa lost three of the four matches they played in Sri Lanka – two to India and one to Sri Lanka – in the process failing to make the final, which India won by 97 runs. It was a poor return for a team from which so much is expected given their recent performances at World Cups, albeit in the shortest format. The Proteas reached the final of the previous two T20 World Cups, falling at the final hurdle on both occasions. That's why new head coach Mandla Mashimbyi was brought in to lead the team. His mandate was clear when handed the role at the back end of 2024: win an international trophy. The opportunity to tick that goal off begins in September, when the 50-over World Cup gets under way in India, barely 10 months after his appointment, but it's a challenge he accepted when he took the position. South Africa's disappointing tri-series was Mashimbyi's first full-length series he has been with the team, having taken over the reins halfway through the Proteas' all-format home series against England last year. This was, thus, his first opportunity to put his personal stamp on the squad and has given an indication of the direction of the national side. Mashimbyi added three fresh faces to the tri-series squad in Sri Lanka: Miané Smit (20), Seshnie Naidu (19) and Karabo Meso (17). The squad was also without regulars Marizanne Kapp, who was being rested, and Anneke Bosch, through injury, which opened the door for Lara Goodall to be included in the side belatedly. Young trio For Mashimbyi it wasn't just about having the trio of aforementioned youngsters in and around the squad, but an opportunity to see if they would sink or swim. Smit had been included in national squads before without making her debut, but finally got her first cap in Sri Lanka. Wicketkeeper Meso also received her first one-day international cap despite Sinalo Jafta being the national keeper without any challenge to her position since the retirement of Trisha Chetty in 2022, and Naidu's national team debut came at the expense of Nonkululeko Mlaba, the team's premier spin bowler for the better part of the past four years. Mashimbyi is evidently not afraid of making big calls. They have not all worked immediately, however. Meso played in the opening two matches – which South Africa lost by 15 runs and five wickets respectively – and came in to bat at number four. Although her glovework was tidy, she struggled to rotate the strike with the willow. She found herself eating up dot deliveries, which built pressure on herself and the team. She scored seven runs off 17 deliveries against India and nine off 27 balls in the second match against Sri Lanka. Meso was replaced by Jafta in the final two matches after suffering a 'heat-related illness' while behind the stumps in the second match. Naidu, meanwhile, struggled with control, although she did take a wicket on debut against Sri Lanka in South Africa's dead-rubber, 76-run win, but she conceded 40 runs in five overs. At 19, there is still a lot to learn in the art of leg spin bowling for Naidu, but the framework for the talented bowler is there. Smit fared slightly better, scoring 39 runs off 54 balls the first time she has batted in national colours, as well as bowling tidily with her off-spin in her second match, picking up a wicket and only conceding 35 runs in eight overs. Although the results were not ideal, there was a lot to learn about the players for Mashimbyi. Outstanding Dercksen All-rounder Annerie Dercksen (24) had a coming-of-age series with the bat in Sri Lanka. Across the four matches, Dercksen scored 276 runs at an average of 92, with scores of 30, 61 (not out), 81 and 104. With the exception of her second half-century, against India, all her other knocks came while batting at number seven, which made her scores even more impressive. Her highest score before the tour to the subcontinent was 29 and her career batting average was 17.5. It's now teetering towards 50. 'Definitely a breakthrough series for her with the bat,' captain Laura Wolvaardt said about the young all-rounder. 'She was absolutely phenomenal. I joked that every game she was getting 20 runs more than the previous one.' Dercksen's debut century came off only 81 deliveries, at a time when the side were on five for 85 in the 20th over. She helped take the team to 315 and secure their only win of the series. 'To get 100 off 80 [81] balls in conditions that are foreign to us was absolutely amazing,' Wolvaardt added. The decision to continue batting her at number seven despite her being the most comfortable with the willow in subcontinent conditions was due to Mashimbyi's long-term thinking. 'Coach Mandla has a vision in his head of how that World Cup squad is going to look,' Wolvaardt said. 'He has a vision of how he wants that World Cup to go and wants people to bat in roles they probably will in that tournament. 'Dercky has put her hand up massively for a promotion so we'll see what he says.' The Proteas Women will play a T20 and 50-over series against West Indies in June as they continue their preparation for the quadrennial showpiece. Mashimbyi only has a few more matches left to find the ideal balance and personnel that he believes will ensure South Africa's first senior International Cricket Council trophy and complete his mandate as coach in the process. DM This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
The Citizen
06-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Proteas women focused on World Cup, says coach Mashimbyi
The SA team will face Sri Lanka in a must-win tri-series clash in Colombo on Wednesday. Head coach Mandla Mashimbyi admits he is more concerned about the Proteas women putting up a fight at the World Cup later this year than he is about winning the ongoing tri-series against Sri Lanka and India. The SA team, who lost their first two matches of the tri-series last week, will turn out in a must-win clash against table toppers India in Colombo on Wednesday (6.30am start). They must also win their game against hosts Sri Lanka on Friday to qualify for the final on Sunday. Having played in similar hot conditions to those expected at the World Cup, Mashimbyi felt the experience gained in the tri-series was more important for the Proteas than securing victories. 'I would rather it happen now (losing matches) than in the World Cup, and I can assure you now when the World Cup comes we will be able to handle whatever pressure is given to us because this is a learning curve for us in these conditions,' Mashimbyi said yesterday. 'For us now, what we need to do after this tri-nations is to go back to the drawing board and make sure we fill up all the gaps we've identified during this series.' Aiming to hit back Nonetheless, Mashimbyi was confident they could bounce back against Sri Lanka today, as they targeted crucial points to keep them in the running for the tri-series final. In his first full tour in charge of the national team, Mashimbyi admitted he was also still learning, along with the players. However, while the long-term focus was on the World Cup in India in September and October, they were eager to lift the tri-series trophy. 'The only way we can turn it around is to win the next two games, so we're focusing on doing that,' he said. 'There are a couple of things we've looked into, how they (India and Sri Lanka) are going about their game and seeing where we can neutralise them. 'Hopefully with our plans and our execution it works out for us, but we've definitely picked out areas where we can infiltrate both teams, and hopefully we come up with two wins, and hopefully a third one (in the final) as well.' The SA team needed to win both their next two matches, and still needed to ensure they had a better net run rate than one of the other sides, to reach the final.
The Citizen
03-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
‘No excuses': Proteas women must adapt better to conditions, says Mashimbyi
The SA team were handed their second defeat of the ODI tri-series. Captain Laura Wolvaardt leads the Proteas off the field after their loss to Sri Lanka in Colombo. Picture: Isuru Sameera/Gallo Images The Proteas let themselves down, particularly with the bat, head coach Mandla Mashimbyi admitted after their loss to Sri Lanka in the women's ODI tri-series match in Colombo on Friday. After being sent in to bat, the SA team were restricted to 235/9, and Sri Lanka reached 237/5 with 21 balls to spare to secure a five-wicket victory. The conditions were hot, as they had been in the Proteas' 15-run defeat to India earlier in the week, but Mashimbyi felt they could have adapted better. 'It's obviously a disappointing result for us. I think we let ourselves down with the bat,' Mashimbyi said. 'The conditions weren't that bad, to be honest, and I think we probably didn't play them as well as we should have. 'We always knew it was going to be tough coming here. The heat was on today and you could see the girls suffering, but that's no excuse. I think we could have maximised from a batting point of view. 'There were a couple of times where we actually had good partnerships and we were about to pull the plug, but we lost wickets at crucial times.' Their second defeat left the Proteas languishing at the bottom of the tri-series table with no points. India were top of the standings with four points and hosts Sri Lanka were lying second with two points. Mashimbyi said his side would need to step up next week, with two more games to play against India on Wednesday and Sri Lanka on Friday, as they targeted a spot in the final to be contested next weekend. 'We'll go back to the drawing board and make sure all these small things we've learned from the past two games, we will put them right in the next two games so we can make that final.'
TimesLIVE
30-04-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Proteas need to improve in the field for Sri Lanka showdown
The Proteas women will have to quickly rectify their woes in the field before their second Tri-Series match against Sri Lanka at the Ranasinghe Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo on Friday. Dropped catches, an excessive number of wides and fielding mishaps were the areas of concern identified by batter Tazmin Brits and head coach Mandla Mashimbyi in their 15-run defeat to India at the same venue on Tuesday. The Proteas bowlers sent down 13 wides, while dropped catches helped India to a total of 276/6. Brits felt that if they had been better in those areas, they would have had a fighting chance for a rare victory over India on the subcontinent. Coach Mashimbyi reflects on our opening Tri-Series clash against India. 🏏 It was a tightly contested match where the margins were minimal, with plenty of positives to build on as we move forward in the series. 🔥 #AlwaysRising #WozaNawe #BePartOfIt — Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) April 30, 2025 By contrast, India's overall fielding in striving to save boundaries, particularly during the closing overs, proved to be the difference, despite Brits's effort of 109 and a 140-run opening stand with captain Laura Wolvaardt. 'At the end of the day, you've got to take those catches,' Brits said. 'I definitely think if we took those chances, we would have maybe chased about 240. I feel we should not have chased more than 240. 'We didn't manage to take those key moments when needed. I think that was the win or loss. 'I don't think I want to say India was maybe the better team. They played very well, but that's where they show up when it matters. And I think we didn't do that today.' An unforgettable moment in Colombo as Tazmin Brits brought up her third ODI century with an innings full of grit, resilience, and passion 🔥🏏. A celebration that spoke volumes — a testament to hard work and unwavering determination 👏🇿🇦. #AlwaysRising #WozaNawe #BePartOfIt — Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) April 30, 2025 Mashimbyi acknowledged that his team were sloppy. 'Obviously it didn't go our way, which was quite unfortunate,' he said. 'I think, as I summarised the whole game, it was one of missed opportunities. 'For the majority of the match, we had control of the game, and we let it get away from us, and that's when they capitalised with both bat and ball. 'There are so many things that we can take out. In the field, we were a bit sloppy, so that's something we can work on. 'The nice thing about this game for me is to identify the areas that we can really improve and grow in. That's why we're never here to lose; we're here to learn and grow. 'There's a lot of positive stuff that I can speak to. Tazmin Brits's 100. It's really, really special to see her bat like that. 'And then there were a couple of bowlers who put their hands up.' The last meeting between South Africa and Sri Lanka was in April 2024 in Potchefstroom, when the Lankans won by six wickets. In the opening game of the current Tri-Series, Sri Lanka were beaten by nine wickets by India. Daily Dispatch
