by Eddie Anderson

 The Western Province women’s cricket team goes into the year-end break with a significant lead over perennial rivals Boland in the West/East division of the Women’s Provincial League 2009/10 competition. The West/East division is probably the strongest of the three national divisions, with the four of the five competing sides having played in last season’s Super 8s and the fifth team winning last year’s IPT.

With a haul of 20 points from the first four matches of the season, resulting from four straight wins with bonus points, the Province team, which has won the South African provincial crown three times in the past four years, leads Boland by 6 clear points, with the three other sides in the division - Eastern Province, Border and South Western Districts - lagging behind on four points each.

The Province women are also well ahead on net run rate, with a positive rate of 2.58 compared with Boland’s 0.50, with the other teams showing negative rates.

“It has been a tremendous team effort, with every single member of the squad playing a role in our success to date” commented team captain Olivia Anderson. “The statistics issued by Cricket South Africa highlight our spread of talent” said Olivia “We have four batsmen in the national top twenty average rankings and four bowlers among the top twenty bowlers”.

The four top batsmen for Province are Ashlyn Kilowan with 126 runs at an average of 63, Olivia Anderson with 174 runs at an average of 58, Alexis le Breton with 132 runs at 33 and Shandre Fritz with 65 runs at 32. Leighshe Jacobs, with 47 runs under her belt, has produced two valuable innings, but cannot feature in the official Cricket South Africa averages (qualification two completed innings) because she has only been dismissed once.

The bowling figures are equally impressive, with Leighshe Jacobs and Shabnim Ismail having taken 8 wickets each at 5.37 and 6.25 runs per wicket respectively. Other top-twenty bowlers are Nuraan Pipers and Yolani Fourie with 5 wickets at 10.2 and 12.4 runs per wicket each. “These four bowlers have been so successful in bowling the opposition out that we have been unable to give our two South African stars, Ashlyn Kilowan and Shandre Fritz, enough overs to qualify for the official statistics, which require a minimum of five wickets” commented coach Cindy Thomas.

“Being able to bowl Shabnim, who has been extremely fast, aggressive and accurate this season, to an 8/1 off-side field with four slips, has been highly effective in breaking through our opponents’ top orders” commented Olivia Anderson “and Leighshe has been particularly efficient in mopping up the middle and lower orders”.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Province showing to date has been the fielding, with aggressive field placings, slick ground fielding, and memorable catches by Ashlyn Kilowan, Roxanne Fondling and Shandre Fritz, all backed by 4 catches and 6 stumpings by Olivia Anderson to lead the national wicket-keeper statistics.

Head selector Labeeb Fortuin commented: “Every member of our squad of nearly twenty players has a chance of making the side in the vital second half of the season. Team continuity is obviously important, but commitment and performance in both club cricket and at practices will be taken into account in selecting the team”.

Chairman of Western Province women’s cricket Raymond Esterhuizen summed up as follows. “We have a well balanced and highly talented side which has performed excellently so far this season, but it will take even more hard work and commitment by both players and officials if we are to match the results of previous seasons and win the league for the fourth time in five years. Over-confidence, which we must guard against, could be our worst enemy. As we approach the year end, I would like to wish all players, officials and followers of our women’s cricket and their families an enjoyable and relaxing Festive Season and to thank each and every one of you for your dedication and hard work during 2009.”

The Western Province Women’s team plays its next two matches against Eastern Province and Border at Old Mutual on January 9 and 10.