Terblanche named in 14-member squad

At 38, Daleen Terblanche is the most experienced member of the South African women's cricket team, and her longevity has been rewarded after the selectors included her in a 14-member squad to tour England towards the end of July.

Terblanche, the Gauteng opening batsman, has appeared in 58 matches for South Africa, scoring 114 not out against Netherlands in Utrecht last year. She made her debut against Ireland Women in Belfast in August 1997.

Interestingly, the South Africans will open their tour with a match against Ireland at Wellington College on July 31 and Terblanche remembers well how she scored 28 in her first international appearance in Belfast.

"It feels like I have come a full circle since my debut 11 years ago," said Terblanche. "I was young at the time and I am now the grand old lady of the team. We have a young team at the moment and I am expected to play a leading role to help them through."

This could be Terblanche's dream season as she is also vying for a CSA Women's Cricketer of the Year Award with fellow team members, Susan Benade and the captain, Cri-Zelda Brits.

One of South Africa's destructive batsmen, Benade will have to prove her fitness before the touring squad leaves for England on July 28. Marizanne Kapp of Eastern Province is a non-travelling reserve. After playing a one-day international and Twenty20 matches against the Irish, the South African Women will play a series of five ODI's and three Twenty20 matches against England Women.

The announcement of the squad comes after a successful training camp at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria and the selectors have shown faith in those players who guided South Africa to qualifying for next year's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in Australia.

Squad Cri-Zelda Brits (Free State, capt), Claire Terblanche (Boland), Olivia Anderson (Western Province), Susan Benade (Free State), Trisha Chetty (KwaZulu-Natal), Dinesha Devnarain (KwaZulu-Natal), Shandre Fritz (Western Province), Ashlyn Kilowan (Western Province), Marcia Letsoalo (Northerns), Sunette Loubser (Boland), Analie Minny (Free State), Alicia Smith (Boland), Daleen Terblanche (Gauteng), Charlize van der Westhuizen (Northerns)