New Proteas women’s wicketkeeper Macheke excited to get her chance

Promising 25-year-old wicketkeeper batter from the Titans, Tebogo Macheke, will hope to get a chance to show what she can do when the Proteas women’s team take on their Indian counterparts in a five-match T20 series starting on Friday.

Macheke gets her chance because back-up keeper Karabo Meso is out with a wrist injury.

Macheke has been part of Proteas training camps before, and also played for the SA Emerging side, but this is her first involvement in proper tier one international cricket.

Though she will serve as the back-up to first-choice keeper Sinalo Jafta over the coming series, she will hope to get a game somewhere.

‘Selection means a lot’

Macheke said this week she couldn’t quite believe she had won a call-up to the Protea side.

“I didn’t believe it, honestly,” she said when asked about the call informing her of her maiden selection to the national women’s side.

“I was shocked and I was crying on the phone. The convenor of selectors said I could cry. It was amazing and unbelievable.”

She added it has been a dream of hers for a long time to get into the Proteas set-up.

“This selection means a lot. As a young cricketer you always want to represent your country. From a young age I wanted it so bad. I have looked up to so many of these players.”

After being considered for selection before, but overlooked, Macheke said it was down to hard work that had finally got her into the discussion again at national level.

Take things as they come

“I think I’ve grown mentally, learnt to be strong,” she said.

“I believe I wasn’t strong enough (previously). So, I’ve been working on myself and on the game, obviously … working on my keeping and the batting as well. I feel I’ve put the time in, and I guess it’s now paid off.”

Macheke experienced her first Proteas training session earlier this week and she said it was tough going under head coach Mandla Mashimbyi and new fielding coach Mduduzi Mbhatha.

“My first training session was good. I thought it would take some time to adjust, but I think I fitted in quickly. There was lots of hard work, it was tough, but I enjoyed it. It’s good to be pushed … I think we needed that.”

Macheke added she would take things one step at a time. “I’ll take it as it comes. I just want to do the basics right, and not think too much; just focus on the cricket, and do what I know and what I do best.”

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