Seven from WP in SA team for Women's World Cup in New Zealand

Veteran legspinner Kim Price will lead a 15-member South African team containing six of her Western Province team mates, at the 7th Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand from 29 November to 23 December.

"It's a great honour to lead the side," Price said this week. "But it's going to be tough to break the stranglehold that Australia and New Zealand presently have on women's cricket." South Africa, who reached the quarter-finals in its World Cup debut in 1997 (also under the captaincy of Price), is currently rated 5th in the world, behind the Antipodean countries, India and England.

"We'd like to improve on our 1997 performance," Price said, "and in this respect, we've been encouraged by the progress made by India. A year or so ago we didn't rate them all that highly. Now, it seems, they have become a better team than England. If they can improve in such a short time, so can we."

Several members of the side's WP contingent could play key roles in South Africa's bid to at least reach the semi-finals. "We're expecting a lot from Helen Davies, the 'Jacques Kallis' of our side. She's a classic number four batsman and a more-than-useful medium-pace bowler." Others whose performances will be watched with interest are Levona Lewis, an enormously experienced left-arm seamer; Denise Reid, who bats left and sends down her medium-fast deliveries right-handed; Sune van Zyl, an opening bowler; Aluis Kuylaars, who has a batting average of 28; and Alison Hodgkinson.

Does the team have any weaknesses? "We may struggle against spin," said Price. "We find ourselves very much in the same position our male cricketers found themselves in when they were readmitted to international cricket. Because South Africa did not have a history of producing spinners of the same quality (and in the same quantity) as the countries on, say, the sub-continent, our male counterparts struggled initially against spin. "We're aware of this problem," said Price, "and that is why the team will be assembled in Pretoria in September and put through its paces against some of the country's best up-and-coming male spinners."

"Which teams will pose the biggest danger to South Africa: "Australia and New Zealand, obviously," said Price. "In fact, Australia does not seem to have any weaknesses. They bat well, against all types of bowling, they have an aggressive, well-balanced attack and they are an excellent fielding side.

"The strange thing about all the teams is that they play almost exactly the same type of game as their male counterparts, Thus, India and Sri Lanka, for instance, will have clever, really dangerous spinners ? but their fielding won't be all that marvellous," Price said.

The team kicks off its World Cup challenge with a match against India in Christchurch on 30 November, before facing arch-rivals England in Lincoln on 2 December.

*Coach Rodney Willemburg and physiotherapist Marie van der Merwe are also from Western Province.

The team: Kim Price (captain), Cindy Eksteen (vice-captain), Anina Burger, Helen Davies, Alison Hodgkinson, Aluis Kuylaars, Kerri Laing, Levona Lewis, Nolubabalo Ndzundzu, Linda Olivier, Denise Reid, Daleen Terblanche, Yolandi van der Merwe, Sune van Zyl, Sunette Viljoen. Coach: Rodney Willemburg, Manager: Shan Cade, Assistant Coach: Noor Rhode, Physiotherapist: Marie van der Merwe