
Cricket
Exclusive: Proteas Star Annerie Dercksen Targeting The Hundred, WPL and Big Bash
Proteas Women's star Annerie Dercksen aims to break into major cricket leagues but prioritizes consistency in South Africa's team. Despite earning international recognition, she remains focused on the Proteas and is willing to adapt to any role assigned by the coach and captain.

Sri Lanka v South Africa - Women's Tri Nation ODI Series: Game 5 by Sameera Peiris | Getty Images
Proteas Women's star all-rounder Annerie Dercksen has a burning desire to break into The Hundred in the UK, the Women's Premier League in India and the Big Bash in Australia. The 24-year-old understands the way to achieve that is to be consistent in South Africa's green and gold colours.
Breaking into leagues
There are very few all-rounders in Women's cricket that are as dominant as Annerie Dercksen has been in the last 18 months.
With the ball, the right-arm seamer has express pace, a knack for picking up wickets and the energy to bowl long spells for the team. And with the bat, the right-handed batter is adaptable, destructive when the situation requires and an accumulator and an innings builder if the situation demands.
Her adaptability with the bat makes her a one-of-a-kind talent, a rare breed that is arguably the best of this generation. Her performances have seen her earn international recognition as she won the ICC Emerging Player of the Year Award earlier this year.
This week, the all-rounder finds herself nominated in three cricket South Africa Awards categories - the Fan's Player of the Year award alongside the likes of Temba Bavuma, the Women's Player of the Year and the Women's ODI Player of the Year.
Despite all the recognition and accolades, Dercksen is yet to feature in the biggest leagues in women's cricket, namely The Hundred in the UK, the Women's Premier League in India or the Big Bash in Australia.
However, in an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.co.za, the youngster highlighted her understanding that she needs to build her profile by staying consistent in the Proteas Women's green and gold in order to attract the attention of the leagues.
The 24-year-old emphasised that she stands to learn about the game and grow her understanding of the game when she breaks into the league's space.
"I think those things (the leagues) are the dream. Playing for the Proteas is obviously a massive honour and that will always be top commitment and top priority for me," Dercksen told SportsBoom.co.za.
"But I think getting to play in the leagues and just speaking to a couple of the players, the people you meet, and the different situations and environments you find yourself in, your game grows tremendously. So, I think it would be, it would be really awesome to get into one of those leagues."
"There's obviously space for very few international players in there, and there's obviously very well-established international players who have made their mark. I think it's just to continue consistently performing and winning games with the team. Hopefully, it sort of takes care of itself to get into those leagues."
"But, for the moment, I'm just focused on trying to do my best for the Proteas and trying to make sure that I keep staying on that side and that we keep winning games."
Adaptability in Proteas Women
Recently, Dercksen blasted two half-centuries and one century in tough batting conditions in Colombo at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
Her performances with the bat have suggested that she should batter higher up the order, and there's been an outcry around the country for her to assume more responsibility purely because of her pedigree.
Dercksen is happy to play whatever role Proteas Women's coach Mandla Mashimbyi and captain Laura Wolvaardt ask from her.
"(For me it's about) wherever the team needs me. I must say that at the moment, I'm very happy to be in this space, and there are a lot of quality cricketers in and around me that I can learn from. I mean, the likes of Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Laura Wolvaardt, I mean, they've scored endless international runs," Dercksen told SportsBoom.co.za.
"I think Coach Mandla's got a very nice vision where he sees the team going and how he sees that lineup sort of forming. So, I'm very happy to do whatever they need me to."
"I enjoy it up the order when you have some more time and you sort of have to bat time and make sure you still keep intent to put the team into a good position, but I also enjoy being sort of more of a finisher where you sometimes can find yourself in difficult positions and you have to try and get the team out of that."
"They've set a good base and you can sort of come in and capitalise those last couple of overs. So, definitely I don't have any preferred position wherever the team needs me, but yeah, at the moment just feeling really privileged to be in and around the side."

Ongama Gcwabe is an experienced Sports Journalist based in South Africa. In his career, Ongama’s work has been published in the country’s biggest newspapers company, Independe Newspapers, and some of the leading news and sports websites including IOL Sport.