DEVON Cricket are sending an U21s ladies’ cricket team out to South Africa in February to play in the Cape Town international women’s tournament.

The Devon ladies will up against some strong opposition with teams from Western Province, Warwickshire and Holland taking part.

The county have selected former Yelverton Bohemian Cricket Club’s Steph Hutchins to be the captain for the tour. Steph now plays for Plympton CC ladies and second team.

Her father Gary said: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity for her. We are very proud of what she has achieved with her cricket and this is a very special opportunity for her to put her captaincy skills to the test against some very good international teams.

Steph, aged 19 and a former Tavistock College student herself, said she was looking forward to this tour and that it was a great honour to be asked to captain the side of a great bunch of girls.

She told Times Sport: ‘The tour is not only a great opportunity to play against some strong teams but we will be coaching some of the township girls while we are there and are taking out a load of books with us to give to them as they don’t have many books in the school.

‘The girls have had to raise there own funds to pay for the tour which has been a real struggle. They have done lots of team fundraising such as a 24 hour Batathon where they managed to hit over 10,000 balls; they also did a cycle challenge where they cycled the equivalent miles from Exeter to Capetown on spin bikes at Princesshay shopping centre and a golf day but their biggest fund raiser so far was a bag pack at Tavistock’s Morrison’s where the people were so supportive.

‘The team are so far without a tour kit sponsor who’s company logo goes on the front of the shirts which is a real shame as it’s great advertisement for the company but also means the girls will be restricted to what they can achieve while they are in South Africa so it would be great if we could find a local company willing to help.’

For more details contact Gary Hutchins at [email protected]