Laura Wolvaardt

Laura Wolvaardt (born 26 April 1999) is a South African women's cricketer, who has represented her country in Women's One Day International cricket. She is an opening batsman, and in domestic cricket, she plays for Western Province women. She graduated from Parklands College in 2017 with 7 Distinctions, ranking top in her class. In July 2020, she was named South Africa's Women's Cricketer of the Year at Cricket South Africa's annual awards ceremony.

Domestic

Aged 8, Wolvaardt was selected to play for the Western Province U-19 girls' team. In October 2013, she made her first appearance for the Western Province women senior team in a Twenty20 match against Boland women, scoring 13 runs from 18 balls. She made her limited overs cricket debut for Western Province Women in a November 2013 match against Boland, scoring 4 from 14 balls. She was the top scorer in the 2013 Cricket South Africa Under 19 Girls Week, and competed again in 2014 representing Western Province. Wolvaart scored 46 in Western Province Women's final match of the 2015/16 Women's Provincial League, as they won the title for the fourth consecutive year.

In November 2017, she was named in Brisbane Heat's squad for the 2017–18 Women's Big Bash League season. In November 2018, she was named in Brisbane Heat's squad for the 2018–19 Women's Big Bash League season. She played for the Heat in their final against Sydney Sixers. Heat won the match to win the title.

In September 2019, she was named in the Terblanche XI squad for the inaugural edition of the Women's T20 Super League in South Africa.

International

In December 2013, 13-year old Wolvaardt was invited to play for a South Africa Women's U-19 invitational team. She was later named the 2013 Cricket South Africa under-19 female cricketer of the year. Wolvaardt has captained the South Africa Women's U-19 side, and in February 2016, she made her Women's One Day International debut in the opening match of a three-match series against England aged 16. In the second match of the series, she scored her maiden half century in a 114-run partnership with Trisha Chetty. She also played in a match against West Indies, and scored 10 in an opening partnership of 33 runs.

In August 2016, Wolvaardt became the youngest centurion, male or female, for South Africa in international cricket. As a 17-year old, the opener struck a match-winning 105 against Ireland Women to wrap up a 67-run victory in Malahide, Ireland.

In May 2017, she was named Women's Newcomer of the Year at Cricket South Africa's annual awards. In March 2018, she was one of fourteen players to be awarded a national contract by Cricket South Africa ahead of the 2018–19 season. In October 2018, she was named in South Africa's squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies. Ahead of the tournament, she was named as the player to watch in the team. In January 2020, she was named in South Africa's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia.