Cricket

In this episode, I have the immense pleasure of welcoming Laura Wolvaardt, the captain of the South African women’s national cricket team, to the show. She’s not only the Proteas top-order batter but also showcases her talent in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for the Gujarat Giants, the Women’s Big Bash League with the Adelaide Strikers, and The Hundred for the Manchester Originals.

In 2017, she was named Women’s Newcomer of the Year at the Cricket South Africa (CSA) awards and still holds the record for being the youngest South African to score an international cricket century. With the India tour kicking off this June, Laura shares her thoughts and feelings ahead of the much-anticipated games. We dive into the atmosphere within the team as they gear up to face the Women in Blue at some of India’s most iconic cricket venues. Laura opens up about her personal journey with T20 cricket, detailing how she overcame criticism through self-belief and hard work.

We also discuss her back-to-back centuries in the ODIs against Sri Lanka, exploring how she handles the pressure and challenges of captaining a diverse team. As an introvert with fans around the world, Laura gives us a glimpse into how she manages her public persona, deals with the fear of failure, and what her game day superstitions are. Plus, find out who is the bowler she least likes to face in the women’s game, and why she wears number 14. 

Join us for an in-depth conversation with one of South Africa’s most beloved athletes, Laura Wolvaardt, and get to know the person behind the cricket legend.

In this episode, I sit down with Western Province women’s top-order batter, doughnut lover, and sport nutritionist, Faye Tunnicliffe. Faye has big goals matched by unwavering determination. As a gym owner, fitness enthusiast, and 2024 CSA national academy intake, Faye is working to become a solid fixture in the Proteas starting eleven.

We dive deep into Faye’s story, exploring her cricketing adventure in the U.K. and her return to Cape Town. She candidly shares her time sleeping on her sister’s couch for a month before a call with the coach saw her join the Western Province women’s cricket team. This season, Faye has taken on the crucial role of opening batter in both the 50 overs and T20 matches, she reveals what it feels like to step into this position, once held by Andrie Steyn.

Faye discusses how she stays motivated daily. How she starts her day with the “hard things,” what strategies she has found to maintain good mental health, and we talk about doughnuts, her excitement about joining the CSA Academy over the winter, and her natural ability to be an encourager. Tune in to hear Faye’s story of resilience, passion, and the relentless pursuit of excellence, high standards, the Africa Games silver and the starting eleven.

Born in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, Sharne was active from a young age, from playing cricket with the boys to representing her country both in hockey and in cricket. Recently, she was part of the Lady Chevrons team that took on the South African women in a thrilling cricket final at the 13th African Games. Walking away with the gold was a sensational experience for Sharne and her team, and now they are once again competing on the global stage at the ICC qualifiers.

On the show, Sharne and I dig into the gripping win at the African Games and Sharne gives us a look into the meaning behind the win and her family’s poignant words expressed by the nation; “you were part of something bigger than yourself.” Feeling the weight of what was achieved, Sharne also speaks about her cricket injury for the first time, and how coming back to cricket was something that hung in the balance. Sharne speaks into the much-needed space of what women’s cricket looks like on the African continent and her hopes and vision for accessibility and investment into women’s sport in Africa. Giving voice to female athletes and their understanding of fan and spectator engagement, as well as some insider views on the ICC qualifiers, this podcast is filled with moving, intellectual truths about cricket in Africa from a player’s perspective.

The 13th Africa Games kick off this week and for the first time since its inception, cricket is on the agenda. Head coach of the South African Women’s Team heading to the games, is Dinesha Devnarain. She is the women’s national academy head coach, the first woman to have a high-performance coaching job at Cricket South Africa and she led the Fairbreak Warriors to the tournament win as assistant coach in Hong Kong last year.

In a deeply personal way Dinesha and I talk about the future of women’s cricket in South Africa, as well as the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and the brand of cricket Dinesha believes South Africa plays. She also unpacks the team selection for the African Games, and how the team has a bigger purpose in mind, the dream of gold. We talk about the leagues, The Hundred, and the global hunger for women’s cricket. Dinesha also talks exclusively about the plans for the women’s SA20, and how she is a part of the conversations and camps identifying the players and stars for this. Importantly, as a custodian of the game, Dinesha speaks about her goal as the head coach of the African Games team and the eagerness of the players to represent the country and the badge. Insightful and revelatory, don’t miss this conversation ahead of the Games.

Georgie Heath is refreshing, honest, and speaks her mind, something I love in female sport writers and commentators. Based in London, Georgie is a sport commentator who has worked around the world bringing her voice to some thrilling cricket matches, la crosse games, netball tournaments and other sporting competitions. She is also a podcast host; sport writer and reporter and I am thrilled to have her on the podcast today.
Georgie shares with us the challenges and insights in to what it takes to be in the sport commentary space. We also discuss the reality of females in the commentary box (and lack thereof), and how women have to work harder in certain spaces. From her homesickness at boarding school to her hospitalisation years later, Georgie openly shares about how cricket has helped her through the darkest times. We also talk a lot about our sport experiences and our pet peeves on the nature of commentary and the sexism that still exist in the space. Some rare, radical insight from two passionate cricket lovers, this episode is your behind the scenes eavesdrop in the conversations you never get to hear. “What do the penguins at Boulders beach have to do with Laura Wolvaardt? What competition did Georgie win that propelled her into the commentary space?” Tune in and find out.

Cricket is more than just a sport for players, spectators and fans, it’s a powerful tool that can change the narrative of life for so many, and Akther Jahan Khan knows this personally. Arriving in Germany as a foreigner, she found connection through her love of cricket.
On the show, we discuss Akther’s lifelong love and journey in cricket, her role as sport director for cricket development, and her position as captain and officer for the Bundesliga women’s team in Bayern. We also chat about how she uses cricket in schools to expose children, especially young girls to cricket, and how cricket has helped refugees cope with stress and integration. As a trainer and coach in international schools, as well as a trainer and organiser of indoor and outdoor cricket tournaments, Akther is confident that cricket will grow in Germany. What do her programs for youth look like and what does she think about the future of international cricket in Germany especially for women? Catch it all here in this week’s episode.

She holds the world record for the most stumpings in a single innings of a cricket match. She also plays for the Netherlands women’s national cricket team and is in her third season of playing for the Western Province women’s team in Cape Town South Africa. My guest on She Speaks Sport today is Babette de Leede.
On the show, we talk about her cricket lineage, from her grandparents meeting at a cricket match, to her uncle and cousin playing international cricket for the Netherlands. Babette talks us through her incredible participation in the Fairbreak Tournament when she formed an integral part of the Sapphires team, and made history with her quick gloves and fast stumping. She lets us in on how she feels about playing for Western Province, and how she balances completing her master’s degree while playing cricket and dreaming of bigger things for the years that lie ahead. How did she feel watching the auction for the inaugural Women’s Cape Premier League and the amount paid for her to join the team? And what is on her vision board for 2024? Get to know the overseas player who is making her mark in the Western Province cricket team, right here.

Passionate and filled with wisdom, my guest on She Speaks Sport today is former UAE women’s captain and women’s cricket development officer Chaya Mughal. Chaya not only led the national team but also served as the UAE U-19 assistant coach for the inaugural U-19 World Cup which took place in South Africa in 2023. She has also been a part of the Fairbreak Invitational Tournament and captained the UAE national team in over 42 consecutive matches.

On the show, we reflect on Chaya’s passion for cricket and the development of the game for women in UAE. Drawing from her long career as a leader on and off the field, we talk about leadership qualities and her life’s values and wisdom. The Fairbreak Invitational Tournament is always a highlight and Chaya describes her time at the tournament and how she learnt a lot personally from Sophie Devine. What did she think of the U-19 tournament in South Africa and what did she learn from the South African people themselves? Her touching sentiments about South Africans is especially moving. Chaya also shares about the development of women’s cricket in the UAE, as well as her teams win in the Asia qualifier trophy, where UAE finally beat Thailand in a dramatic 6 run victory. Her final tournament before retiring from her illustrious international career.

The domestic cricket season has begun and the Western Province cricket ladies are ready to go! Joining me on the show today is Western Province Head Coach Claire Terblanche who is also head coach for the Phoenix Cricket Club in Ireland and the Scorchers Super Series head coach. This year, Claire led the Western Province team to their crowning as the 50-over champions, and she also picked up the Coach of the Year award, as well as the CSA Provincial Coach of the Year.

We chat deeply about her time in Ireland working with cricket players from 6 up to 55, and how coaching different age groups encourages creativity from the coach. Discussing the incredible talent of Ireland’s national women’s side, Claire shares her appreciation for the team’s bright future and growth mindset. We get into the new season, what lies ahead and what to expect from the next few games as Western Province take on the Dolphins. How does Claire motivate her players through slumps, what does she think of her awards and the players who have come through her team and onto the national side? In this compelling, open conversation we become acquainted with Claire, our celebrated Western Province women’s cricket coach!

Mignon du Preez is the most capped South African women’s cricketer, who captained South Africa from 2011 to 2016. She is included in the South African hall of fame and stadium gates at Supersport Park are named in her honour. Mignon represented South Africa more than 260 times and is a participant for the Fairbreak Global tournament.

On She Speaks Sport today, Mignon talks about life since retiring from international cricket in 2022, her experience of the T20 Women’s World Cup and the emotions she felt while commentating through the tournament. We talk about legacy and I ask the question, “what do you want to be remembered for?” Mignon shines light on her faith and how she has always lived by the belief that God has gifted her with talents, and what she does with those talents is her gift to God. We also speak about life lessons from the field and beyond, as well as her unique approach to captaincy and how she kept the team motivated through the losses and the hard times.