The Hundred women: Dane van Niekerk Sidelined from the Hundred due to Thumb Fracture
Suzie Bates of New Zealand Assumes Captaincy for Oval Invincibles
The leadership of Dane van Niekerk, captain of the Oval Invincibles, has been cut short in the Women’s Hundred due to a fracture on her right thumb. The injury was sustained during the Invincibles’ victorious encounter against the Manchester Originals. In a statement, the team revealed that scans unveiled an intra-articular fracture, necessitating surgical intervention.
Stepping into the captain’s shoes during van Niekerk’s absence will be New Zealand’s Suzie Bates. The Invincibles are poised to announce a replacement player in the near future.
Expressing her sentiments, van Niekerk conveyed, “I’m deeply disappointed to have to withdraw from the tournament. It felt like I was hitting my stride during the match against the Originals, so suffering an injury in the same game is incredibly disheartening.”
Despite her injury, van Niekerk will remain part of the team throughout the competition, offering unwavering support to Bates and the rest of the squad. “I’m committed to remaining with the group and providing Suzie and the team with all the encouragement they need,” she affirmed. “I’m genuinely appreciative of the outpouring of well-wishes I received after missing the Superchargers game – it truly means a lot.”
Van Niekerk participated in two matches, scoring 2 runs against the Welsh Fire and impressively accumulating 42 runs off 23 balls against the Originals. Unfortunately, she was sidelined due to her injury during the match against the Northern Superchargers.
Currently positioned sixth on the points table with just one victory in four matches (including one abandoned due to rain), the Invincibles – previous champions of both editions of the Women’s Hundred – face a challenging road ahead.
Last season, Bates stepped into the role of Invincible captain on four occasions when van Niekerk was absent from the side. Under the previous regulations, teams were allowed four overseas players in their squad and three in the playing XI. Consequently, van Niekerk was omitted from four group games last season due to these constraints.
