Photo Credit: Brisbane Heat
The WBBL Brisbane Heat has secured exciting South African allrounder Nadine de Klerk for the upcoming rebel Women’s Big Bash League season.
The 20-year-old sprang to prominence with an eye-catching effort in the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup semi-final against Australia at the SCG earlier this year.
Called into the Proteas side on match day in place of a virus-hit Marizanne Kapp, de Klerk snapped up 3-19 in the Australian innings as South Africa fought hard in the rain-affected match to lose by just five 5 runs.
In just her second game in the World Cup campaign, the determined right-arm seamer claimed the wickets of Australian batting trumps Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner and Rachel Haynes, and then joined with former Heat batter Laura Woolvardt to chase the reduced target in the final overs.
A talented athlete who competed nationally as a javelin thrower, de Klerk weighed up pursuing an athletic scholarship before being chosen as a 17-year-old in the Proteas squad for the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup in England.
She grew up playing cricket on the family farm in Pretoria with her older brother and started playing organized cricket when she was 11.She now plays her cricket with the Western Province team.
The Cape Town-based de Klerk will join New Zealand duo Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green as the Heat’s overseas contingent for WBBL|06.
The Heat featured the South Africa duo of Wolvaardt and Sune Luus in their championship squad that won the club’s first WBBL title two years ago.
WBBL Heat coach Ashley Noffke said the introduction of another exciting young player was a boost for the club.
“Anyone who saw Nadine charge in and bowl without fear against the best team in the world would have been impressed,’’ he said.
“She’s got very good skills and is certainly a player who likes to lead by example. We’re very confident she will complement the squad we are assembling, and it will be exciting for our fans to see her in action when we get underway,” Noffke said.
The Heat has previously announced internationals Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Amelia Kerr (NZ) and Maddy Green (NZ) along with Grace and Laura Harris, Georgia Prestwidge, Mikayla Hinkley, Courtney Sippel and Lilly Mills for WBBL|06.
The WBBL will feature a record number of broadcast matches on Channel 7 and Foxtel, with 23 regular season matches and three finals to be shown.
The remaining 33 games will be streamed live on the CA Live app, cricket.com.au and Kayo Sports.
