SA expand women's contract pool

South Africa have handed out contracts to 14 women cricketers, expanding the pool from six. All of them who were given contracts, excluding KwaZulu-Natal's Nadine Moodley, have been picked for the Twenty20s in England and Ireland next month. Boland offspinner Sunette Loubser is the only one who didn't get a contract but made the tour.

New contracts: Suné Luus (Northerns), Lizelle Lee (North West), Moseline Daniels (Western Province), Chloe Tryon (KwaZulu-Natal Coastal), Ayabonga Khaka (Border), Nadine Moodley (KwaZulu-Natal Coastal), Bernadine Bezuidenhout (Western Province) and Andrie Steyn (Northerns).

Contracts renewed: Mignon du Preez (capt, Northerns), Marcia Letsoalo (Northerns), Dané van Niekerk (Eastern Province), Shabnim Ismail (Western Province), Marizanne Kapp (Eastern Province) and Trisha Chetty (KwaZulu-Natal Coastal).

"I believe that this latest awarding of eight contracts will be a fundamental step in assisting the Momentum Proteas Women's team to realise their goal of being one of the top four countries in world cricket," CSA general manager of cricket Corrie van Zyl said. "This now means that the squad that will be going on tour to England will be the first fully contracted women's cricket squad in South African history and that is something that we are all proud of. "

The England and Ireland tour is set for the first week of September.

Squad: Mignon du Preez (capt), Trisha Chetty (vice-capt), Moseline Daniels, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Lizelle Lee, Matshipi Letsoalo, Sunette Loubsher, Sune Luus, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Chloe Tyron, Andrei Tyron, Dane van Niekerk