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The South African women’s cricket team got off to a wonderful start on Sunday by beating England for the first time in an ICC tournament.
They executed their skills well and held their nerve towards the back end to seal victory in the final over, with veteran Mignon du Preez hitting a six and a four to claim the honours. She was playing in her 100th T20 international, making her the first South African to do so.
The 30-year-old Du Preez, who has previously captained the side, has only missed eight T20 matches for South Africa, racking up an attendance record of 93%. She has also played in every T20 World Cup since its inception in 2009, and is easily the most experienced member of the squad, having also played in the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia and the Kia Super League in England.
As she spoke to City Press the day after the thrilling opening game, Du Preez struggled to remember which international games she’d missed – not that it matters, because, combined with her leadership skills, experience and enthusiasm, her 1 681 runs (second on the South African best run-scorer’s list) at an average of just under 22 and with a strike rate of just over 100 makes her one of the most versatile players in the game.
“Experience goes a long way, but, in saying that, there’s always room to grow and learn more. It’s an exciting time because the women’s game is growing globally, and there’s so much more to learn about.”
And what better way to showcase this than at the first stand-alone T20 Women’s World Cup. The previous six editions were combined with the men’s tournament, but the ICC felt the time was right this year for the women’s game to finally step out of the shadows and showcase the phenomenal talent on display.
The opening game of the tournament between hosts Australia and India tripled the attendance record for a women’s game in Australia, with 13 432 people in attendance. It has also produced the second-highest television audience for a women’s game, with a combined average audience of 448 000.
After 13 years playing at the highest level, having seen South Africa women’s cricket reach many firsts and, personally, having achieved many records, does Du Preez think now might be a good time to hang up her gloves?
“I think I have a little of what they call fomo [fear of missing out], and I want to keep going for as long as possible to make sure that I don’t miss anything,” she laughs.
“But I have a strong support structure with my husband Tony and my mum and dad, who have all been very supportive of my dreams. Being a Christian is also very important to me – God gave me this gift and I want to use it.”
So, another 10 years in the game?
“Hopefully, yes. But, somewhere along the line, I have to start thinking of a family too. Maybe I’ll get the opportunity to take the kids on tour too. There’s always the possibility of stepping away for nine months, starting a family and continuing to play.”
She laughs again, stating that there are many possibilities and she doesn’t want to limit herself just yet.
However, with the women’s T20 having been included in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Du Preez is targeting that before making any major career or life decisions.
Being such a shining light for women’s cricket in South Africa and having done everything but win an international tournament, Du Preez says that this group of players has progressed exceptionally well when it comes to their skills and maturity.
“This time the around, the preparation has been amazing. The belief with this group is that we can actually make it to the semifinals and even one step further – to the finals,” said Du Preez about what she believed set this team apart from the other squads she’s been part of.
Du Preez says that, when she hit the winning runs against England on Sunday evening in Perth, she was just glad she could contribute to the team in a meaningful way.
“I’m still one of the senior players and I can still lead in a non-captaincy role … and I want to be the most enthusiastic person I know so that it rubs off on some of the younger ones to just bring some [more] energy to the team.”
South Africa will need all the energy and feel-good vibes if they are to go all the way, but, with Du Preez at their side, they have a stalwart who has seen the lows and can drag them out of any sort of slump to loftier heights.
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