Amid the uncertain times in South African cricket, there’s a lot to appreciate. During this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup, the Proteas made it to the semifinals and gave Australia, the hosts, a good run for their money. While they didn’t win, the South Africans displayed a strong brand of cricket throughout the tournament, with several young players determined to outperform. And one of them was the resident impact specialist, all-rounder Chloe Tryon. Believe it or not, Tryon was a few months shy of her eighteenth birthday when she first made an appearance for South Africa. It couldn’t have been a more auspicious first outing - as a matter of fact, it was during the 2010 T20 World Cup. The debut match will always be a prized memory, especially because she picked up two wickets in the first over she bowled. Since then, she’s relished every opportunity at center stage, as it’s been a key motivating factor over the course of her cricketing timeline. “Representing my country was quite overwhelming initially,” reminisces Tryon. “I didn’t expect to get started that early [age 17] but I was excited to play in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. My best memory would have to be taking a wicket on the very first ball I bowled against the West Indies. Despite not making it past the group stage, it was an unforgettable time.” During her early days, Tryon often competed with and against boys’ cricket teams at school level. At times she may have felt like a fish out of water, but the overall experience taught her key lessons and prepared her for more challenging encounters. “For me, it all began with backyard cricket. I played cricket in primary school with the boys’ team. I continued until age 13 and I often was the only girl competing. It took a lot for me to get through that, but it really pushed me to work harder. With a great support system back home, I always felt ready to learn and toughen up, game by game.” “I played school cricket at Pennington Primary School in KwaZulu-Natal, for the boys’ team. We had won three years in a row. And then I played for a women’s club team. Frankly, I think it was great to play with the boys especially at that age. It may have been tough at times, but I was always compelled to compete. It was more of a male-dominated sport at the time, and fitting in wasn’t so straightforward early on. It really helped shape me to become a more aggressive cricketer.” Prior to taking part in the T20 World Cup this year, Tryon got her first taste of the WBBL for the Hobart Hurricanes. Considering the lucrative reputation of the tournament as well as the high-quality cricket played, it was a bit of a tense beginning, but she delivered on multiple occasions. Tryon often provided the late-innings impetus, and scored a total of 248 runs, striking at close to 180. It may have been a difficult time for her team, but her positive outlook remained intact. “The experience in Australia was amazing. It felt a bit nervous, joining the WBBL and playing for the Hobart Hurricanes, but everyone welcomed me and I felt like a good fit. For me, personally, it was great to get a chance to grow my game and continue my constant learning process.” While Tryon’s known to be a clean hitter, behind all the pent-up aggression is a calm approach. It often requires skillful judgment and patience, especially when it comes to finding the right juncture to tee off. At the end of the day, it’s very much a mental game - one has to find the ideal opportunity to signal intentions. “I like to keep things simple. Most often think that the big hitters are ready to attack from the first ball but for me, I like to go about according to the situation. I take a few deliveries to get myself in and then I back myself after that. It’s all about getting in a good position and trusting your ability to clear the boundary.” With all the administrative turmoil going on, some may feel apprehensive about the rate of progress. However, Tryon is confident about the improving domestic system for women cricketers. As of now, there are more events as well as training sessions, both of which are a perfect fit for Tryon’s robust work ethic. In recent times, many youngsters have been able to make the grade when fast-tracked to the international stage: Tryon herself, top-order batter Laura Wolvaardt, spinning allrounder Sune Luus, and left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, to name three of them. “The women’s domestic structure is pretty good here in South Africa. If I think back and compare how it was at the time to how it currently is, we now have regular camps and tours. We’re constantly busy, which I enjoy. It’s exciting to know that CSA is doing more to boost women’s cricket. I think women’s cricket is only going to get better and it’s definitely headed in the right direction. I’m looking forward to how the next couple of years will play out.” Now it’s time to address the elephant in the room. The vast majority of women’s cricket is in the shorter formats, with the occasional Test every once in a blue moon. As much as we get exciting contests in limited-overs cricket, Test cricket presents its unique challenge - which team will outlast the others over the course of a riveting five days of play. On that token, Tryon played her first and only Test match to date six years ago. It’s no surprise that she’s among the several women cricketers calling for an increase of frequency of Tests. “Yeah, I’d love for there to be more women’s Test cricket. I feel it’ll be fantastic for the game. Since I’ve been playing for South Africa, I’ve always wanted to play more Tests and gain the experience. I played one against India in 2014, hopefully we get more of that in the near future.” All in all, Tryon’s emergence and everlasting desire to maximize potential and produce match-winning performances has been a testament to the steady improvement of the Proteas Women over the course of the last few years. The 2020 semifinal has been the best result in a T20 World Cup, and as much as the loss to Australia was painful, it’s served as a confidence builder as well. Tryon’s story from her early days to donning the green and gold has been nothing short of inspirational, and it’s one of many stories that’s broken barriers.
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September 2020
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