Having played a huge role in helping the Hollywoodbets Dolphins secure a historic 50-over title last season, opening batter Alexandra Candler is determined to deliver once again for the Durban-based side in the 2024/25 Hollywoodbets Pro Series.
In this season’s Hollywoodbets Pro50 competition, Candler currently leads the batting charts with 364 runs in eight matches at an average of 45.50. Her contributions, which include a century and two fifties, have helped the defending champions claim top spot on 29 points, ahead of the DP World Lions on net run rate, with two matches remaining.
The 21-year-old is also a key figure in the Dolphins’ Hollywoodbets Pro20 campaign, with the team sitting just three points behind leaders World Sports Betting Western Province on 33 points. From the top of the order, Candler has made a notable impact, scoring 203 runs in seven innings, including two half-centuries.
Reflecting on where her cricket journey began, the Howick-born batter pinpoints a defining moment in Grade 7 at Howick Preparatory School.
“Apart from playing lawn cricket at home from a young age, my journey into formal cricket started quite coincidentally.
“At prep school one afternoon, I had finished tennis practice and I walked past the cricket nets where the boys were practicing. The coach (Ashley Sookaloo) asked me to bowl to the boys and that weekend I was in the second XI and then in the first XI,” Candler recalled.
After choosing to prioritise cricket over other sporting commitments, including tennis, Candler’s talent quickly became evident. She rose through the ranks at KwaZulu-Natal Inland, making her senior debut at just 15 years old.
With strong support from her school and her family, including younger sister Jessica who plays for KZN Inland, her career gained momentum. She earned national colours after being selected for the SA Schools team following the 2018 CSA Under-19 Girls Week and later became the first girl to captain Howick High School’s first cricket team at the age of 17, an achievement she describes as “one of the key moments” in her journey.
Another pivotal step came after matriculating, when she moved to Durban to join the Dolphins at the start of the 2022/23 season.
“The move from Inland to the Dolphins was necessary but risky as initially I was not a contracted player at the Dolphins. This meant that I had to work exceptionally hard to claim a place in the team, which I managed to do. Subsequently I've continued to work hard and I love what I do and being part of the Dolphins family,” she added.
In her second season at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Candler was a standout performer as she amassed 278 runs at an average of 46 in the One-Day Cup, including a match-winning 89 off 140 balls against the Lions in the title-clinching match to help earn her the Dolphins’ Player and Players’ Player of the Season award.
Heading into the ongoing 2024/25 campaign, Candler has put last season’s achievements aside and set her sights on further success with the Dolphins.
“I am always optimistic about new seasons but remain humble and grounded. One can never be bigger than the game; it is a sport that will very quickly bring one down to earth if you're not careful to accept accolades with humility.
“The first goal is to play my part in the team to try and win the Pro50 competition again and perhaps even the T20 competition as well. Longer term, I hope to improve my game by working hard and continuing to fulfill my role in the Dolphins team. I have always really wanted to represent my country, so hopefully I can continue to produce results which lead to this.”
Having received her first professional contract at a young age, Candler is now able to make a living solely from the game she loves while she completes a BSc in Strength and Conditioning.
Reflecting on the impact of the professionalisation of women’s domestic cricket in South Africa in 2023, Candler stated: “There has not been a more important development in women’s cricket in SA than the introduction of professional contracts. This has taken the game to a higher level altogether.
“With big sponsors on board and more media coverage, young players are being exposed to the game and aspiring to be like their cricketing heroines. After all, this has been a part of men’s cricket for decades, it’s important for the women’s game to catch up.”
Aiming to lift at least one trophy this season, the Dolphins will conclude their campaign with crucial Pro50 and Pro20 clashes against the Lions this weekend in Johannesburg, followed by fixtures against Western Province on 22-23 March in Cape Town.
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