Wikipedia

Dane van Niekerk

Dané van Niekerk (/dəˈneɪ vəniːˈkərk/ də-NAY va-nee-KURK, Afrikaans pronunciation: [dɑːˈnɛi_ˌvaniˈkəːk];[1] born 14 May 1993) is a South African cricketer born in Pretoria and educated at Hoërskool Centurion. A right-handed batter and leg break bowler, she played for South Africa in Test matches, One Day Internationals (ODI) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) between 2009 and 2021, and was captain of the side between 2016 and 2021.[2] She was the first bowler for South Africa to take 100 wickets in WODIs.[3]

Dané van Niekerk
Van Niekerk batting for Sydney Sixers during WBBL|03
Personal information
Full name
Dané van Niekerk
Born (1993-05-14) 14 May 1993 (age 31)
Pretoria, South Africa
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm leg break
RoleAll-rounder
RelationsMarizanne Kapp (wife)
International information
National side
Only Test (cap 57)16 November 2014 v India
ODI debut (cap 53)8 March 2009 v West Indies
Last ODI16 September 2021 v West Indies
ODI shirt no.81
T20I debut (cap 18)11 June 2009 v West Indies
Last T20I4 September 2021 v West Indies
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2007/08–2011/12Northerns
2012/13–presentEastern Province
2015/16Melbourne Renegades
2016Loughborough Lightning
2016/17–2020/21Sydney Sixers
2018–2019Surrey Stars
2021–2023Oval Invincibles
2021/22Adelaide Strikers
2023Royal Challengers Bangalore
2023Sunrisers
2024/25Western Province
Career statistics
Competition WTest WODI WT20I
Matches 1 107 86
Runs scored 22 2,175 1,877
Batting average 11.00 36.25 28.01
100s/50s 0/0 1/9 0/10
Top score 15 102 90*
Balls bowled 222 4,578 1,500
Wickets 1 138 65
Bowling average 90.00 19.14 20.96
5 wickets in innings 0 2 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0
Best bowling 1/90 5/17 4/17
Catches/stumpings 0/– 56/– 25/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 25 September 2021

Domestic and T20 career

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She played domestically for Highveld Women and Northerns Women[2] before becoming one of the first two South African women (along with Marizanne Kapp) to be included in the Eastern Province cricket team academy (men's team).[4]

In 2015, she took part of the inaugural season of the Australian Women's Big Bash League playing for the Melbourne Renegades.[5]

In November 2018, she was named in the Sydney Sixers' squad for the 2018–19 Women's Big Bash League season.[6][7] In September 2019, she was named in the Devnarain XI squad for the inaugural edition of the Women's T20 Super League in South Africa.[8][9] In 2021, she was drafted by Oval Invincibles for the inaugural season of The Hundred.[10] She was the highest run-scorer in the women's Hundred tournament with 259 runs.[11]

In April 2022, she was bought by the Oval Invincibles for the 2022 season of The Hundred.[12]

In the inaugural season of the Women's Premier League in 2023, van Niekerk was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore at the price of 30 Lakhs.[13] In March 2023, it was announced that she had signed for Sunrisers for the upcoming season, between May and August.[14] During her stint with Sunrisers, she became captain of the side.[15] In February 2024, it was announced that she had re-signed for Sunrisers for part of the 2024 season.[16]

Van Niekerk joined Western Province for the 2024/25 South African domestic season.[17]

International career

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She was selected as part of the South Africa national women's cricket team for the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup in Australia, becoming a regular presence in the squad. She played in the 2013 Women's Cricket World Cup, as well as representing South Africa at the Women's World Twenty20 in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Bowling leg-spin, she made her debut at 16 years of age in March 2009, during the World Cup match against the West Indies at Newcastle. In her second match, she took 3/11 as South Africa beat Sri Lanka in Sydney to claim 7th place in the tournament. Through the years she has developed into an all-rounder and became a T20I opening batter.[18]

In January 2013, she became the first South African woman to take an international hat-trick, finishing with 5/28 in an ODI match against the West Indies.[19][20] A month later she scored her first ODI half century with a 55 not out during a World Cup match against Pakistan. She shared a partnership of 128 runs with Marizanne Kapp, the highest South African partnership for the 6th wicket.[21]

In January 2014 against Pakistan, van Niekerk took her second ODI five-wicket haul with 5/17. She was the first South African woman player to achieve two five-wicket hauls in ODIs.[22][23] Later that year, facing Pakistan at the Women's World T20I, she scored 90 not out in a 163 run unbroken partnership with Lizelle Lee, which is the second highest individual score in T20I by a South African woman[24] and the second highest partnership in all women's T20I history.[25][26]

On 21 June 2016, she was appointed as South Africa women's captain for all forms (Test, ODI and T20I) following Mignon du Preez's decision to step down as captain.[27]

In February 2017, during the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier, she became the seventh player to reach 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in WODIs. She also became the first player for South Africa to take 100 wickets in WODIs.[28]

She went on to become the first ever bowler (male or female) to take four wickets in international cricket history without conceding a single run and also set the record for recording the best bowling figures for South Africa in Women's World Cup history.[29][30][31] She also became the leading wicket taker during the 2017 ICC Women's World Cup tournament with 15 scalps.[32]

In December 2017, she was named as one of the players in the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year.[33]

In March 2018, she was one of fourteen players to be awarded a national contract by Cricket South Africa ahead of the 2018–19 season.[34] In October 2018, she was named as the captain of South Africa's squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.[35][36] Ahead of the tournament, she was named as the star of the team[37] and one of the players to watch.[38] She was the joint-leading wicket-taker for South Africa in the tournament, with six dismissals in four matches.[39]

In February 2019, during the first WODI against Sri Lanka Women, she scored her first century in a WODI match[40] In the process, she also became the fourth cricketer for South Africa Women to score 2,000 runs in WODIs,[40] and became the fourth woman to achieve the double of reaching 2,000 runs and taking 100 wickets in WODIs.[41]

In August 2019, she was named the Women's Cricketer of the Year at Cricket South Africa's annual award ceremony.[42][43] In January 2020, she was named as the captain of South Africa's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia.[44] On 23 July 2020, van Niekerk was named in South Africa's 24-woman squad to begin training in Pretoria, ahead of their tour to England.[45]

Van Niekerk retired from international cricket in March 2023 after being left out of the squad for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup for what Cricket South Africa said was failing "to meet the minimum criteria for fitness."[46][47] She reversed this decision in July 2024.[48][49]

Personal life

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In July 2018, she married her teammate Marizanne Kapp.[50]

References

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  1. ^ "How To Pronounce Dane van Niekerk". Retrieved 5 November 2021 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ a b "Dane van Niekerk player profile". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  3. ^ "Leading Ladies: First to 100 ODI wickets from each team". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Player profile". Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Renegades sign triple threat for WBBL". Melbourne Renegades. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  6. ^ "WBBL04: All you need to know guide". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  7. ^ "The full squads for the WBBL". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Cricket South Africa launches four-team women's T20 league". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  9. ^ "CSA launches inaugural Women's T20 Super League". Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  10. ^ "The Hundred 2021 - full squad lists". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  11. ^ "The Hundred Women's Competition, 2021 Cricket Team Records & Stats". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  12. ^ "The Hundred 2022: latest squads as Draft picks revealed". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  13. ^ Tripathi, Anuj (ed.). "When it comes to WPL, CSA unlikely to stand in Dane van Niekerk's way". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Sunrisers seal van Niekerk signature". Sunrisers Cricket. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Sunrisers Statement: Captaincy Update". Sunrisers Cricket. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Dané van Niekerk to Return for 2024 Campaign". Sunrisers Cricket. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  17. ^ "Western Province Women sign Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp joins". Club Cricket SA. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Warne has nothing on van Niekerk". Superport. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  19. ^ "van Niekerk guides South Africa Women to comfortable win". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  20. ^ "How many bowlers have taken four wickets in five balls in an ODI?". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  21. ^ "Room-mates lift South Africa with record stand". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  22. ^ "Fritz, van Niekerk set up South Africa win". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  23. ^ "SA Women ODI – Most five-wickets-in-an-innings". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  24. ^ "SA Women T20I – High scores". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  25. ^ "Women's Twenty20 Internationals / Partnership records / Highest partnerships for any wicket". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  26. ^ "South Africa openers set up thumping win". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  27. ^ "Mignon du Preez steps down as Proteas women's captain / Women's contracts for 2016/2017 season announced". CSA. 21 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  28. ^ "Special day for van Niekerk despite loss to India". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  29. ^ "A record first for Dane van Niekerk". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  30. ^ "WI slump to new low after 48 all out". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  31. ^ "Cricket Records. Records. Women's World Cup – South Africa Women. Best bowling figures in an innings". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  32. ^ "Cricket Records. ICC Women's World Cup, 2017. Records. Most wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  33. ^ "Ellyse Perry declared ICC's Women's Cricketer of the Year". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  34. ^ "Ntozakhe added to CSA womens' [sic] contracts". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  35. ^ "Cricket South Africa name Women's World T20 squad". Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 9 October 2018.[permanent dead link‍]
  36. ^ "Shabnim Ismail, Trisha Chetty named in South Africa squad for Women's WT20". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  37. ^ "Key Players: South Africa". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  38. ^ "Players to watch in ICC Women's World T20 2018". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  39. ^ "ICC Women's World T20, 2018/19 – South Africa Women: Batting and bowling averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  40. ^ a b "Superb all-round van Niekerk display helps South Africa pip Sri Lanka in tight contest". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  41. ^ "Dane van Niekerk's maiden ODI hundred gives South Africa tight win". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  42. ^ "Du Plessis and Van Niekerk honoured with CSA's top awards". Cricket South Africa. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  43. ^ "Du Plessis, van Niekerk named CSA Cricketers of the Year". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  44. ^ "South Africa news Dane van Niekerk to lead experienced South Africa squad in T20 World Cup". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  45. ^ "CSA to resume training camps for women's team". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  46. ^ "Dane van Niekerk: South Africa all-rounder retires from international cricket". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  47. ^ "Dane van Niekerk confirms her retirement from international cricket". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  48. ^ "Van Niekerk makes peace with CSA". SA Cricket Mag. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  49. ^ "'Want to play again and have fun' - Dane van Niekerk signs for Western Province". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  50. ^ "South Africa cricketers Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk tie the knot". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 July 2018.

Further reading

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