The inaugural season of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Professional Domestic Women's League has concluded in a highly successful manner, marking a significant milestone for women's cricket in the country.
The professionalisation of the Women’s League was driven by the remarkable achievements of the Proteas Women's team in recent ICC World Cups, which have contributed to the growing momentum and interest in women's cricket.
In recognition of the need to further support and nurture talent at the domestic level, the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) invested R15 million over three years. This investment laid the foundation for the professionalisation of the league and signalled a new era for women's cricket in South Africa.
In the first season of the professional league, the structure remains the same for the first two years. This will change from the conclusion of the 2024/25 season onwards, when the recurring annual automatic promotion and relegation system will commence. This strategic approach ensures fairness and competitiveness while providing teams with opportunities to progress and demonstrate their abilities on a larger stage.
As the professional season concludes, it's also time to reflect on some remarkable statistics from the season.
Division 1 is made up of six highly regarded teams, namely Hollywoodbets Dolphins, DP World Lions, Fidelity Titans, Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers, World Sports Betting Western Province and Recon Tactical Free Strate.
Hollywoodbets Dolphins emerged triumphant in the CSA Women’s 1-Day Cup, securing the championship title under the guidance of former Proteas Women's cricketer Angelique Taai, who led her team with exemplary coaching skills and strategic acumen.
In the CSA Women’s T20 Challenge, World Sports Betting Western Province was crowned champions, with former Proteas Women's cricketer Claire Terblanche guiding her team to victory through her astute leadership and coaching expertise.
The DP World Lions finished as runners-up in both competitions, demonstrating resilience and competitiveness throughout the season.
The league's Division 2, comprising 10 teams divided into two pools of five, has provided a platform for emerging talent to showcase their skills and compete at a high level.
The Coastal Pool comprises Northern Cape, Eastern Province, Boland, Border, and Kei, while the Inland Pool is made up of Easterns, Limpopo, North West Dragons, KwaZulu-Natal Inland, and Mpumalanga.
Individual performance highlights from the CSA Women’s 1-Day Cup saw Tazmin Brits emerge as the top run-scorer with an impressive tally of 464 runs in seven matches.
This showcased her impressive batting prowess and consistency in fielding, while Mignon van der Merwe, a former Proteas teammate of Brits, followed closely with 422 runs in six matches, displaying her considerable skill and experience in the format.
In the CSA Women’s T20 Challenge, Brits once again demonstrated her batting excellence, leading the run charts with 349 runs in seven matches, followed closely by Faye Tunnicliffe with 341 runs in eight matches.
It is worth noting that Western Province’s Nosipho Vezi and Titan’s Paulinah Mashishi led the wicket-takers log in Division 1’s CSA T20 Challenge, demonstrating their bowling prowess and contributing significantly to their teams' performances.
Division 2 players also performed well in the bowling department, with Liyema Jubati of Border leading the charts with a noteworthy 26 wickets. Jana Nell of Eastern Province came in close behind with 25 wickets. These exceptional performances illustrate the depth of talent within Division 2 and highlight the potential for players to make a significant impact on the league's future seasons.