South African Women Arrive for One-Day Series

The South African Women's Cricket Squad arrives on Sunday 11 June for the series of five One Day Internationals against England. The first match is at Chelmsford on Tuesday 20 June followed by games at Trent Bridge on Thursday 22 June, Canterbury on Sunday 25 June, Taunton on Wednesday 28 June and Worcester on Saturday 1 July. There are practice sessions at each ground the day before the match.

South Africa has two warm up games against the England Development Squad and a couple of practice days at Shenley Cricket Centre. There is a net at Lord's on Thursday 15 June, when the players are available to talk to the press.

The new-look England Squad meets at Lilleshall for training and practice games from Monday 12 June. Their opponents are Staffordshire and the England Development Squad.

Clare Connor captains the team for the first time at home. She was promoted from vice-captain for the New Zealand leg of the winter tour.

The Squad includes newcomers 16-year old spin bowler Laura Harper from Cornwall, the youngest girl to be selected to date and all rounder, 18-year old Arran Thompson, from Lancashire.

"It is important that we win this series," says England Coach, Paul Farbrace. "The team needs to get into the habit of winning. We have selected some new younger girls for the first three games of this series and we will see how they get on. We are also hoping for good performances from some of our established players who did not fulfill their potential on the winter tour. This is a huge series for us, not just for individuals and their performances, but for the whole women's game in this country in the run up to the World Cup in New Zealand in November,"

The full squad is: Clare Connor (captain, Sussex), Melissa Reynard (vice-capt, Yorks), Jane Cassar (Notts), Barbara Daniels (Staffs), Charlotte Edwards (Kent), Laura Harper (Somerset), Dawn Holden (Notts), Kathryn Leng (Yorks), Laura Newton (Cheshire), Lucy Pearson (Staffs), Nicki Shaw (Notts), Claire Taylor (Berks), Clare Taylor (Yorks), Arran Thompson (Lancs).

The South African team is captained by Kim Price who led the side that toured England in 1997 for their first experience of the one-day game. England won the rain affected five-match series 2-1. The teams last met in the 1997 World Cup when England narrowly won a match reduced to 20 overs.

The full South African squad is: Kim Price (captain), Cindy Eksteen (vice-captain), Anina Burger, Helen Davies, Alison Hodgkinson, Aluis Kuylaars, Kerri-Ann Laing, Levona Lewis, Nolubabalo Ndzundzu, Linda Olivier, Denise Reid, Rozelle Scheepers, Dalene Terblanche, Yulandi van de Merwe and Sunnette Viljoen.