Suné Luus

Suné Luus
Personal information
Full name
Suné Elbie Luus
Born (1996-01-05) 5 January 1996 (age 28)
Pretoria, South Africa
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm leg break, Right-arm off break
RoleBowling all-rounder
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 62)27 June 2022 v England
Last Test28 June 2024 v India
ODI debut (cap 63)6 September 2012 v Bangladesh
Last ODI23 June 2024 v India
ODI shirt no.96
T20I debut (cap 30)11 September 2012 v Bangladesh
Last T20I20 October 2024 v New Zealand
T20I shirt no.96
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2009/10–presentNortherns
2017Yorkshire Diamonds
2018/19Brisbane Heat
2019Lancashire Thunder
2020Velocity
2022Supernovas
2022Trinbago Knight Riders
Career statistics
Competition WTest WODI WT20I
Matches 3 124 126
Runs scored 242 2,265 1,374
Batting average 40.33 25.16 21.46
100s/50s 1/1 1/14 0/5
Top score 109 107* 71
Balls bowled 78 3,327 1,092
Wickets 0 115 52
Bowling average – 21.67 22.76
5 wickets in innings 0 5 2
10 wickets in match 0 0 0
Best bowling – 6/36 5/8
Catches/stumpings 1/– 50/– 43/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 21 October 2024
Medal record
Representing  South Africa
Women's Cricket
T20 World Cup
Runner-up 2023 South Africa
Runner-up 2024 UAE

Suné Elbie Luus (/suˈneɪ ˈluːs/ soo-NAY LOOS, Afrikaans pronunciation: [suˈnɛi_ˈluːs];[1] born 5 January 1996) is a South African professional cricketer, who plays for the national cricket team as a spin bowling all-rounder.[2]

Early life and education

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Luus was born and raised in Pretoria.[2][3] Even when she was a toddler, her father encouraged her to play cricket.[4] "My dad was a mini cricket coach – I'm still a daddy's girl!"[5] At the age of four, she started playing mini cricket with her father and older brother.[3][5]

Three years later, aged seven, Luus joined the Under-10 boys team of her primary school, Laerskool Voorpos.[3] Initially a "keeper / allrounder / opening pace bowler", she enjoyed the challenge of proving that girls could play cricket with the boys.[5] The same year, she also started playing women's club cricket, and was selected for the Northerns Under-13 provincial team.[3] As a 12 year old, she was added to the Under-19 provincial team, and by the following year she was playing for the senior provincial team.[3]

In 2009, aged 13, Luus was selected for the Under-19 national team. In both 2010 and 2011, she captained the Under-19 team that won the national championship undefeated. She also started secondary school at Hoërskool Menlopark, and became the opening batter of the school's Under-14A boys team. Later, she played for the Under-15A team, in which she competed against boys who had already played provincial cricket at the Under-15 level.[3]

Meanwhile, Luus was also playing competitive tennis. Eventually, she had to choose between an overseas cricket tour and a Sun City tennis tour. She chose cricket, because she did not think that tennis was ever going to take her overseas. Although her mother had enjoyed travelling with her on tennis tours, both of her parents supported her decision, and watched all of the cricket matches she played.[6]

In September 2012, at the age of 16, Luus made her debut for the national team.[2] By then, she had become acquainted with men's Test batsman Jacques Rudolph, and he had convinced her to take up leg spin bowling.[5]

In 2014, her final school year, Luus was so busy playing cricket that she spent only about three months attending school. At the end of that year, she considered studying teaching, but was concerned about whether she would have the time to do so.[7]

Then, at a national team gathering at the High Performance Centre at the University of Pretoria, Luus was informed that she could study for a Higher Certificate in Sports Science over two years instead of the usual year. With the assistance of a bursary from the South African Cricketers' Association, Luus began that course in 2015.[7] However, the university was later unable to arrange the practical element of the course for her, and she therefore transferred to the University of South Africa (Unisa) to study communication science.[6]

Career

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On 5 August 2016, during a match against Ireland at the Anglesea Road Cricket Ground, she became the second player to score a half-century and take a five-for in a women's ODI, after Heather Knight, by scoring 52 runs and taking 6 wickets.[8][9][10]

She also equalled the record of Anisa Mohammed for picking up the most wickets in a single calendar year in women's ODI cricket, with 37 dismissals in 2016.[11] In 2016, along with Chloe Tryon, she set the record for the highest sixth-wicket partnership in a WODI, with 142 runs.[12]

In May 2017, she was named Women's Cricketer of the Year at Cricket South Africa's annual awards.[13] 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.[14] In October 2018, she was named in South Africa's squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.[15][16]

In November 2018, she was named in Brisbane Heat's squad for the 2018–19 Women's Big Bash League season.[17][18] In September 2019, she was named in the M van der Merwe XI squad for the inaugural edition of the Women's T20 Super League in South Africa.[19][20] In January 2020, she was named in South Africa's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia.[21]

In January 2020, in the third WODI against New Zealand, Luus became the first bowler to take two six-wicket hauls in WODI cricket.[22] She took six wickets for 45 runs in ten overs, with South Africa winning the three-match series 3–0.[23] She was also named the player of the series.[24] On 23 July 2020, Luus was named in South Africa's 24-woman squad to begin training in Pretoria, ahead of their tour to England.[25]

In January 2021, in South Africa's series against Pakistan, Luus took her 100th wicket to become the tenth cricketer to score 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in WODIs.[26]

In February 2022, she was named as the captain of South Africa's team for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand,[27] after regular captain Dane van Niekerk was ruled out of the tournament with a fractured ankle.[28] On 31 March 2022, in the semi-final match against England, Luus played in her 100th WODI match.[29]

In May 2022, she played seven matches for the Tornadoes team at the 2022 FairBreak Invitational T20 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with a top score of 66* against the Barmy Army team.[2] In the final of the Invitational, she also hit the tournament-winning runs for the Tornadoes.[30]

In June 2022, Luus was named as the captain of South Africa's Women's Test squad for their one-off match against England Women.[31] She made her Test debut on 27 June 2022, for South Africa against England.[32] In July 2022, she was named as the captain of South Africa's team for the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.[33] In August 2022, she was signed as an overseas player for Trinbago Knight Riders for the inaugural edition of the Women's Caribbean Premier League.[34]

She was named in the South Africa squad for the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.[35]

References

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  1. ^ A video of Luus pronouncing her own name: Luus, Suné. "How do you pronounce Suné Luus?". Google. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Suné Luus". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Absolut Krieket: Suné Luus – Dié Menlo-meisie mág moker!" [Absolute Cricket: Suné Luus - This Menlo girl can smash!]. www.menlopark.co.za (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  4. ^ Head, Tom (10 November 2018). "Sune Luus: Six things to know about the Proteas' spin sensation". The South African. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d "Sune Luus: part-time student, full-time South Africa women's cricket star". eNCA. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b Team Female Cricket (13 October 2018). "EXCLUSIVE Interview with Sune Luus - South Africa's Spin Sensation". Female Cricket. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Reaping the benefits". SACA | South African Cricketers' Association. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Luus' all-round brilliance underpins thumping SA win". ESPNcricinfo. 5 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Records | Women's One-Day Internationals | All-round records | A fifty and five wickets in an innings | ESPNcricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  10. ^ "1st ODI: Ireland Women v South Africa Women at Dublin, Aug 5, 2016 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPNcricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  11. ^ "Records | Women's One-Day Internationals | Bowling records | Most wickets in a calendar year | ESPNcricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  12. ^ "Records | Women's One-Day Internationals | Partnership records | Highest partnerships by wicket | ESPNcricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  13. ^ "De Kock dominates South Africa's awards". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  14. ^ "Ntozakhe added to CSA womens' [sic] contracts". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  15. ^ "Cricket South Africa name Women's World T20 squad". Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 9 October 2018.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "Shabnim Ismail, Trisha Chetty named in South Africa squad for Women's WT20". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  17. ^ "WBBL04: All you need to know guide". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  18. ^ "The full squads for the WBBL". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  19. ^ "Cricket South Africa launches four-team women's T20 league". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  20. ^ "CSA launches inaugural Women's T20 Super League". Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  21. ^ "South Africa news Dane van Niekerk to lead experienced South Africa squad in T20 World Cup". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  22. ^ "Luus shines as South Africa take ODI series 3-0". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  23. ^ "Sune Luus' six-wicket haul helps South Africa whitewash New Zealand". Women's Cricket. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  24. ^ "Luus leads Proteas Women to ODI clean-sweep". Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  25. ^ "CSA to resume training camps for women's team". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  26. ^ "Ismail, Luus combine to make it 3-0 after Wolvaardt's heroics with the bat". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Lizelle Lee returns as South Africa announce experience-laden squad for Women's World Cup". Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  28. ^ "Injured Dané van Niekerk out of 2022 World Cup". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  29. ^ "Luus, Lee to play 100th ODI in World Cup semi-final: 'It's an honour'". News24. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  30. ^ "CSA congratulates Luus and Khaka after FairBreak Invitational success". Cricket South Africa. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  31. ^ "Kapp, Lee and Jafta mark their return as South Africa announce squad for one-off Test and ODIs against England". Women's CricZone. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  32. ^ "Only Test, Taunton, June 27 - 30, 2022, South Africa Women tour of England". Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  33. ^ "No Dane van Niekerk for Commonwealth Games too, Luus to continue as South Africa captain". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  34. ^ "Athapaththu, Khaka and Luus brought in for Women's CPL and 6ixty". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  35. ^ "CSA Names Proteas Women Squad For Pakistan Series And T20 World Cup In UAE". Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
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