• Former Knights stalwart Dillon du Preez has been named assistant coach of the SA women's cricket team.
• The 38-year-old has been coaching at Free State and the Knights since his retirement.
• Du Preez will work under head coach Hilton Moreeng, who recently signed a contract extension.

Former Knights all-rounder Dillon du Preez has been named assistant coach for the Proteas women's cricket team.

Du Preez will work under head coach Hilton Moreeng, who was re-appointment to the position in July.

The 38-year-old Du Preez has a wealth of experience playing the game, claiming nearly 600 wickets across all formats and amassing over 4 500 runs.

He has been coaching at Free State and the Knights since his retirement and his elevation to the Cricket South Africa (CSA) structures further bolsters the management team.

Du Preez has experience in the women's game, having served as the assistant coach for the Coronation team in the inaugural Women's T20 Super League.

"We would like to welcome Dillon to the Proteas set-up," Moreeng said via a press statement.

"He is a young coach with vast experience of playing the game and his all-round skill will no doubt benefit the girls.

"I am confident that alongside our staff and another recent appointment Dinesha Devnarain (the first full-time women’s under-19 coach) our coaching setup can help take the women’s game to a new level."

Speaking following his appointment, Du Preez said: "I am really honoured. I have been relishing such an opportunity and can’t wait to get going.

"A lot has been going on behind the scenes for a little while and obviously with the break (Covid-19) I've had to wait a little while before formally joining the team, but now it's finally come and I'm really excited and can't wait to get going with Hilton and the rest of the girls."

Since Moreeng took over as Proteas women's coach in 2012, the team has evolved into a competitive unit on the global stage.

They reached the semi-finals of both the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (2014 and 2020) and the ICC Women’s World Cup (2017).

Following an historic 3-0 One-Day International whitewash over New Zealand in January, they landed a third-place finish with 25 points behind Australia (39) and England (27) in the ICC Women’s Championship and gained automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup.

There is currently no international cricket being played by South Africa due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

The Proteas women were due to travel to the West Indies and England in recent months, but those tours were postponed because of the virus.

However, two camps involving the National High-Performance squad have been held, with a third planned for later this month in Potchefstroom.

Proteas Women management: Hilton Moreeng (head coach), Dillon du Preez (assistant coach), Sedibu Mohlaba (manager), Zane Webster (strength and conditioning coach), Tshegofatso Gaetsewe (team doctor), Molebatsi Theletsane (physiotherapist)

- Compiled by Sport24 staff