Though they already have the series win wrapped up, Proteas all-rounder Nadine de Klerk says the national women’s cricket team are hungry for a clean sweep when they turn out against Pakistan in the third and final T20 International in Benoni on Monday night (6pm start).
The SA side have been superb at global tournaments in recent years, reaching the finals at three successive World Cup events since 2023, but they have not been as impressive in bilateral series.
In the T20 format, they earned their first series sweep in nearly three years against Ireland on home soil a couple of months ago.
And after winning the first two matches of their ongoing campaign against the visiting Pakistan side last week, they had a chance to secure a 3-0 win on Monday evening.
“Although we’re 2-0 up we want to start whitewashing teams and really dominate world cricket and show them what we’re made of, so I think it’s really important going into the next game as well,” De Klerk said yesterday.
Good support in Benoni
Monday’s match was initially expected to be held in Kimberley, but it was moved to Willowmoore Park in Benoni because the Kimberley Oval did not “meet the required international norms and standards for match readiness”, according to Cricket South Africa.
However, with lively crowds having turned out for the first two games of the series in Potchefstroom and Benoni, De Klerk said she was pleased to have an opportunity to turn out again at Willowmoore Park, with spectators having stuck around to support the national team despite rain disrupting the second match at the same venue last week.
“There was so much rain around but people were sitting in the rain waiting for us to get onto the park, and [the support] was the same in Potch as well, so it’s been a great atmosphere,” De Klerk said.
“It’s great to play in front of home fans… and I think Benoni is one of my favourite places to play because I feel like the crowd never disappoints and the cricket conditions are pretty good as well.”
After Monday’s fixture, the Proteas will host Pakistan in a three-match one-day international series starting in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
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