GAME DAY: Proteas Women savour Lord’s stage before World Cup decider

The Proteas Women have embraced the occasion of playing at Lord’s for the first time as they prepare for Sunday’s must-win ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Group A clash against Bangladesh.

Assistant coach Claire Terblanche revealed there was plenty of excitement when the squad arrived at the famous ground, with players eager to capture the moment before turning their attention to the task ahead.

“The first thing they did was pop up their phones, took a couple of pictures and videos, and then settled,” she said at a pre-match press conference. “They’re very excited to be at Lord’s and play here tomorrow.”

Terblanche understands the feeling. During her own playing career she also fulfilled the dream of appearing at the Home of Cricket, even if her memories include making a duck.

“It was a bit overwhelming,” she recalled with a smile. “I scored a duck that day, which wasn’t great, but I played at Lord’s. I’ve got very fond memories.”

Player Number 16 at the #T20WorldCup 🇿🇦

Carried by the nation, powered by belief, and fuelled by every voice in the stands 💚💛

From sixes flying to nail-biting finishes, our fans are living their best life in England! 🎉

Turning every match into a full on celebration with… pic.twitter.com/3oKQNhlObF

— Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) June 26, 2026

She believes the growth of women’s cricket means today’s players are benefiting from opportunities her generation could only imagine.

“You’ve seen teams across the world improve in leaps and bounds,” she said. “The evolution across the years has been extremely exciting to see.”

Terblanche said interest in the Proteas Women has also increased significantly since their run to the previous World Cup final, with more South Africans following the team than ever before.

“We’ve noticed more people, men and women, young girls and young boys, becoming interested in women’s cricket,” she said. “Even people who don’t understand cricket are asking questions.”

That growing support was evident this week when children from Khayelitsha, who are touring England, attended the Proteas’ training session.

“Having them here and seeing us train is fantastic. I think they absolutely enjoyed themselves.”

Time is running out to qualify for the #T20WorldCup semi-finals😲

Who books their ticket next? 🤔

Don’t miss the action! Get your tickets here 🎟️ https://t.co/8kyuNOXKdL pic.twitter.com/SapeNDyZLZ

— ICC (@ICC) June 26, 2026

For now, however, sentiment will have to wait. The Proteas know they must first overcome Bangladesh in their final group match before discovering whether results elsewhere will be enough to send them into the semi-finals.

“We know what we need to do,” Terblanche said. “It comes down to Bangladesh and South Africa. As long as we’re focusing on what we’re going to be doing, the result will take care of itself.”

Sunday’s match against Bangladesh at Lord’s starts at 11.30am SA time.