THE QUEST CONTINUES

Photos: AFP | www.photosport.nz By: Zaahier Adams

The birth of a professional domestic league is the logical next step in the Proteas’ Women cricket team’s evolution.

THE Proteas’ Women’s team will wonder for the rest of their lives how they failed to give their best in the biggest game of their lives in their World Cup semi-final in Christchurch.

It will perhaps never be the remotest consolation that they were outplayed by an opponent whose own performance peaked at the most critical time.

This was a team that was supposed to be playing for the nation, for every gogo, single mother and little girl adoring them from back home.

Mignon Du Preez is the first of the veterans that have retired from ODI cricket post the World Cup disappointment in New Zealand.

Maybe the responsibility of being pioneers – no South African cricket team had qualified for a World Cup final before – was just too much.

The quest will now continue, but when the dust has settled, which may take longer for the veterans in the squad, South Africa should still look back on the competition with a degree of pleasure.

Of course, they will always regret losing to England in a second consecutive World Cup semi-final but they should still be able to reflect that reaching the play-offs in the manner in which they did with a game to spare is progression in its own right.

The Proteas played for every gogo, single mother and little girl adoring them from back home.

It was not simply bluster from their captain, Sune Luus, when she spoke of “a brilliant campaign” and “how all the players have stepped up at different times and it’s been amazing to see the growth in each and every player”.

Luus’ philosophical approach is probably due to the fact that for South Africa to eventually scale their Everest the structures at home need to begin resembling the likes of finalists Australia and England.

The foundation has been laid with the contracting of the national squad, but the challenge has now been put to Cricket South Africa to capitalise on the excitement generated through the creation of greater opportunities for more female cricket players.

The birth of a women’s professional domestic cricket league is a much-needed intervention. The moment must be seized if South Africa are to eventually celebrate the return of champions.

Chloe Tryon was one of the many Proteas that stepped up during the World Cup.