South Africa women's cricket team
 |
|
| Nickname | Proteas |
|---|---|
| Association | Cricket South Africa |
| ICC status | Full member (1909) |
| ICC region | Africa |
| Coach | Hilton Moreeng |
| Captain | Dane van Niekerk |
| First Test | |
 South Africa vs. England  (Port Elizabeth; 2 December 1960) |
|
| First ODI | |
 South Africa vs. Ireland  (Belfast; 5 August 1997) |
|
| First T20I | |
South Africa vs. New Zealand  (Taunton; 10 August 2007) |
|
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 5 (first in 1997) |
| Best result | Semi-final (2000) |
| World Cup Qualifier | |
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2008) |
| Best result | Champion (2008) |
| World Twenty20 | |
| Appearances | 5 (first in 2009) |
| Best result | Semi-final (2014) |
| as of 22 November 2016 | |
The South Africa women's national cricket team, nicknamed the Proteas, represents South Africa in international women's cricket. One of eight teams competing in the ICC Women's Championship (the highest level of the sport), the team is organised by Cricket South Africa (CSA), a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
South Africa made its Test debut in 1960, against England, becoming the fourth team to play at that level (after Australia, England, and New Zealand). Because of the sporting boycott of South Africa and other factors, the team did not play any international fixtures between 1972 and 1997. South Africa returned to international competition in August 1997, in a One Day International (ODI) match against Ireland, and later in the year participated in the 1997 World Cup in India. The team has participated in every edition of the World Cup since then, and made the tournament semi-finals in 2000. South Africa has likewise participated in every edition of the Women's World Twenty20, and made the semi-finals of the 2014 edition, played in Bangladesh.
The first report of women's cricket in South Africa is from 1888, when Harry Cadwallader, later the first secretary of South Africa Cricket Association, observed "a number of the fair sex indulging in practice... and they showed they are possessed of not inconsiderable talent...". The following year, students from the South African College played against 'a team of ladies', with the male students forced to bat, bowl and field left-handed, and bat using pick-handles. The women won the match by an innings. There are other references to similar conditions being placed on male competitors in matches against women at the time, a tradition carried over from England. Women's cricket was played in South Africa fairly regularly throughout the beginning of the 20th century, and in 1922, Winfred Kingswell set-up, and became the first president of, the Peninsula Girls' School Games Union. Ten years later, she helped found the Peninsula Ladies Cricket Club (PLCC), which with 30 members, played regular matches against men's sides on level terms. They played 33 matches in two seasons with limited success, winning nine of them. In 1934, the PLCC affiliated to the Women's Cricket Association in England, which governed international cricket at the time. The intention was to organise women's cricket in South Africa, and eventually send teams to play in England, Scotland and Australia. Little progress was reported, although regular women's cricket continued until the Second World War. It was revived in 1947 by a group of enthusiasts, and in 1951 Netta Rheinberg, on behalf of the Women's Cricket Association, suggested that a South Africa Women's Cricket Association be formed, and encouraged the possibility that a series of matches could be played between the two associations. The South African & Rhodesian Women's Cricket Association (SA&RWCA) was officially formed in 1952. At their annual general meeting in January 1955, the SA&RWCA accepted an invitation from the Women's Cricket Association to join an International Women's Cricket Council that, in addition to South Africa, included England, Australia and New Zealand. They also agreed that international matches would be played between the four nations. In 1959, arrangements were made for the first international women's cricket tour of South Africa, as they would play host to the English team in 1960.
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