Diviya bowls over teammates in South Africa stint

SINGAPORE - Given that she has limited opportunities to further her cricket career in Singapore, Diviya G.K. took the bold step of testing her prowess abroad over the past month.

The national women's team captain embarked on a training and playing session in South Africa.

She became the first Singaporean female to play first-class women's cricket when she turned out for Boland against Border in the Women's Provincial League on Jan 11.

First-class - the highest level of cricket after Test, One-Day and T20 internationals - is played regularly in nations with Test status.

"It was a dream come true," said the 27-year-old. She returned home on Feb 9 after a 33-day stint with Boland, who train at a ground that is a 35-minute drive from Cape Town.

"The standard was very high. I could do almost everything the players there could do but they were a lot more experienced and better than me in what they did."

Diviya has played in about 30 internationals since 2006, mostly at the Asian level, where Singapore rank ninth among 11 national sides in the Asian Cricket Council rankings. Half of her Boland teammates were hardened South Africa internationals, with most having played 150 first-class matches or more.

"The average age of the team is 25 but they simply play a lot more cricket which makes them better at it," said the Singaporean, a clinical science undergraduate at the Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, Australia.

"I leant to be consistent and cope with pressure."

The South Africa women's team are ranked sixth in the world. Boland lie in the top three among 13 provincial teams there.
The level of play was so high that, out of the five matches she played for Boland, all-rounder Diviya batted only once (1 not out) and bowled only about 15 overs (five wickets with a best of 2-3 in six overs).

"Boland's top-order batters were so good that they hit fifties and hundreds in every match," she said. "I just didn't get opportunities to bat. And their opening bowlers took most of the wickets, leaving a spinner like me few chances to bowl.

"To match up to them, I worked extra hard during training and tried to excel in fielding."

Diviya's enthusiasm and commitment earned praise from Boland's coach and the players.

"She is a very gutsy cricketer who is prepared to go the extra mile," said coach Noor Rhode, 49, who was in charge of the South Africa national women's team from 2000 to 2010.

"She is hardworking and learns quickly. But she needs to play and train on a more regular basis in a well-structured environment to be able to outsmart the best in the women's game."

Said Boland's vice-captain Alicia Smith, 29, a South Africa international: "Diviya is always willing to learn. She blended in well with our team and has a great spirit for the game."

Added Boland player Yolandi van der Westhuizen, 32, another South Africa international: "She has the potential to become a phenomenal spinner. Always gives 100 per cent."

The hard work that she put in during training - three times a week - and the determination and dedication she showed on the field earned Diviya an invitation from Rhode to play for Boland next season from October to March. But the coach wanted her to bulk up before returning.

"I'll certainly be working out in the gym more often and eating more," said Diviya who is 1.58m tall and weighs 49kg.

"I would love to play a full season in South Africa but the cost could be prohibitive.

"Women cricketers do not get paid there and they play out of passion. All of them are working or studying and spend more than an hour reaching the ground for training."

Diviya's five-week trip came about after Annemarie Tanke, 35, who played for the Netherlands from 1997 to 2010 and now lives here, saw her in action at the Singapore Cricket Club. She spoke to Rhode about giving the Singaporean a chance to play at a higher level.

Her bill of nearly $5,500 was footed by well-wishers such as Joe Grimberg, former judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court and patron of the Singapore Cricket Association (SCA), and Skiya Sports.

From the experience gained in South Africa, Diviya, who is a part-time coach at Rex Martens Cricket Academy, plans to help develop women's cricket here. "The players have it so easy here," she said. "We don't have to travel long distances for training and the facilities at Kallang are good." But her ultimate aim is to play in the professional women's league in England or Australia.

In the meantime, she will continue to hone her skills by playing in the SCA men's league, where she became the first Singaporean woman to play in the second division last year.

santosh@sph.com.sg

Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.