South African women don't just like cricket, they love it. The fairer sex is now hugely influential in every sphere of the game.
The roll call of honour includes award-winning commentator Kass Naidoo, who is now one of the most recognisable sports broadcasters on TV; Jane Bramley who is the most syndicated cricket writer in the country; Keletso Totlhanyo, who is responsible for South Africa's entire broadcast feed that is used worldwide, and Elize Lombard from Northerns, who is the only female cricket CEO in the country.
Recently Standard Bank honoured 70 influential women in cricket for their role in making the game such a success this summer.
Says organiser Kate Johns: "Behind a great cricket team, stand a group of very talented and influential women. We wanted to thank the many women who work in, and contribute to, the game of cricket, acknowledging the diversity of roles that we all fill.
"The Standard Bank cricket sponsorship isn't just about the shield on the playing shirt of the ODI team. We've been long-term sponsors and seen the growing numbers of women entering the management, promotion and administration of the game."
One of those present was dynamic Keletso Totlhanyo, who is thought to be the only female television broadcast producer in cricket worldwide. She was responsible for the coverage of the India/Pakistan/South Africa matches this summer which were broadcast to audiences around the globe.
She started off her career as a production assistant with SABC sport in 1990 and took six years to become a producer and director working mainly with soccer before making the switch to cricket.
"The change was challenging and incredibly difficult. I had to learn the rules and really understand the game. With soccer it's a 90-minute match while cricket goes on for hours and hours. It was a case of learning to swim or drown and I made sure that I could swim."
Keletso says she has learnt to love and appreciate the game: "Hey, I even prefer five-day Tests now to ODI's because you have to wait to the last day in the last over to know who is going to win the game."
Her prediction for the World Cup?
"I would love the Proteas to win. Critics often say we do well in matches within SA but not as well outside. We're now rated No 1 which I think will work to our advantage and with the Aussie injuries I think we have a good chance."
Like Keletso, Naidoo has also made huge strides in what was considered a man's world by becoming the first South African female cricket commentator.
"I decided at the age of 14 that I wanted to become a cricket commentator and I went on to study journalism.
"In 1999 I moved from KwaZulu-Natal to Joburg to pursue my commentating dream. My first big break came when I landed a job as John Robbie's producer at 702.
"My next big break came when SABC Sport offered me the opportunity to host their coverage of the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup."
How did she set about working in a male-dominated field?
"I made cricket my life; I studied it, analysed it and lived it. Finally at the age of 25 in 2003 I was brave enough to walk into a cricket commentary box.
"It's been tough and scary and I nearly quit a few times but I'm living my dream. It's been a difficult four years and I've constantly had to prove myself, but I finally feel that I've settled in and I'm looking ahead to explore my cricket commentary."
Kass will be watching the Proteas in action in the West Indies along with the rest of South Africa.
"I pulled out of going to the World Cup and am going to host live studio presentation from here. I've been away from home for three months and I thought I mustn't be greedy. I'm having an awesome time and there will be plenty of other tournaments."
What does she think of SA's chances?
"They are excellent and I have the feeling that we are confident but not desperate which lead to such debacles in the past.
"I'm really crossing my fingers. A win would be so deserved as we've played out of our skins this summer."
The award-winning presenter (she was named SAB Radio Sports Presenter of the Year for 2005 for her work on SAfm's Gameplan) is also exploring new horizons. Last year she and her husband Ryk Meiring started gsport for Girls, which aims to raise the profile of South African women in sport (see www.gsport.co.za).
"In whatever I do, my aim is always to promote South Africa and South African sport."
Like Naidoo, SAfm's Helen Mittwoch has also been feted for her work and last year she was voted SAB Radio Sports Journalist of the Year for her good work on the station.
This year she'll be planning coverage of the World Cup cricket and rugby as well as other international and local events. "It was my love of cricket which brought me to where I am today. I met Gerald de Kock - the then sports presenter/ commentator on what was Radio South Africa - and we spoke about cricket the whole time. He knew at that moment that I was the person for the job!"
Sapa's Jane Bramley finds it "daunting" to be the most syndicated cricket writer in the country: "However, I always do the best that I can and I'm passionate about the game".
Her father fostered her love of cricket while she was growing up and she did coverage of the first English rebel tour to South Africa for the then Springbok Radio while working primarily as a hard news journalist.
It was while working at the SABC she switched from news to sports.
"It's interesting that in my couple of years in sports I have made better contacts than I did in my years as a news journalist and I interviewed many influential people while on Radio Today."