Proteas Women all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has joined Western Province Women ahead of the 2024-25 domestic season in South Africa.
Former Proteas Women captain Dane van Niekerk has also joined Western Province Women.
Van Niekerk and Kapp, who are married, previously represented South Western Districts Women and Eastern Province Women, respectively.
“We are very excited with our retention plan and with the new additions to our squad. There has been a strategic approach to address areas within the squad,” said Western Province Cricket Association cricket services manager Clinton du Preez.
All-rounder Oluhle Siyo and spinner Rifqah Esau have also been given full contracts. All-rounder Jemma Botha and Netherlands Women wicketkeeper-batter Babette de Leede have received high-performance contracts.
Oluhle Siyo.
“The experience and versatile quality of Dane, together with the potential of all-rounder Oluhle brings, depth and strength to our squad, which has been so successful over the past seasons,” added du Preez.
“Rifqah is a product of successful identification and development within our cricketing hubs and focus school programs. She has grown into a prospect to claim her place within the senior space and to dominate with ball in hand.”
“Jemma is a prolific young cricketer. She has made her mark and has been rewarded with a high-performance contract with a clear intention to further invest in her. This, together with retaining Babette as an international cricketer, gives us great excitement for the upcoming season.”
Rifqah Esau.
Van Niekerk played one Test, 107 ODIs and 86 T20Is from 2009 to 2021. She has since been competing in T20 leagues around the world, most recently the Women’s Hundred in the United Kingdom.
New WPCA chief executive officer Corrie van Zyl added: “The WP squad is a very well-balanced squad with a good mixture of experience and youth.
“The addition of Dane and her international experience and leadership qualities will certainly have a meaningful impact on the team and the development of our young talent within the squad.”
Head coach Claire Terblanche and assistant coach Vuyani Parafini have been retained.
“The retention of the management team on multi-year contracts speaks volumes of the positive and hard work they have achieved in the past season and the confidence we have in them as a group,” concluded van Zyl.
WP Women’s 2024-25 contracted squad
- Leah Jones (captain)
- Faye Tunnicliffe
- Dane van Niekerk
- Nosipho Vezi
- Saraah Smith
- Kayla Reyneke
- Caitlin Wyngaard
- Oluhle Siyo
- Yandiswa Mangele
- Tatum le Roux
- Rifqah Esau
- Babette de Leede (high-performance contract)
- Jemma Botha (high-performance contract)
- Nadine de Klerk (national contract)
- Lara Goodall (national contract)
- Marizanne Kapp (national contract)
- Delmi Tucker (national contract)
Team management
- Claire Terblanche (head coach)
- Vuyani Parafini (assistant coach)
- Usraa Ganie (physiotherapist)
- Simamkele Vena (strength and conditioning coach)