Longing for the SBNS

Dane van Niekerk just can't get enough of the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS). The South Africa women's team's dashing right-handed opener was in Dhaka in September 2012 touring with her side. Although she did not have a great time with either bat or ball, her team clinched the exciting three-match Twenty20 series 2-1, with thousands of people watching it from the stands. And that memory makes the stadium her favourite venue of all.
"I'll never forget that day to be honest. Playing in front of 15,000 spectators and two million viewers on TV as we won the series," says the right-handed batsman and leg-break bowler.
"I've always said the stadium in Bangladesh, the Sher-e-Bangla, is my favourite ground because of the support from the Bangladeshi people. It's always nice to play in front of a crowd who are interested in women's sport," says van Niekerk.
Starting the tournament with a 54-ball 90, van Niekerk gave her side a thumping win against Pakistan before being humbled by Australia in the next match. With Ireland and New Zealand coming up, van Niekerk knows South Africa will have to play out of their skin to qualify for the semifinals, and be at the Sher-e-Bangla again.
"I'm really looking forward to playing at the Sher-e-Bangla again. But we'll have to be there first," van Niekerk says.