Proteas Women take aim at first-ever World Cup final spot: 'We're a team to be reckoned with'

South Africa captain Suné Luus believes her team can take a step further than the semi-finals at this year's ICC Women's World Cup starting in New Zealand next month.

Proteas Women have never gone past the last four of the ODI tournament since playing their first World Cup competition in 1997 and lost to England Women by just two wickets at the last edition held in the UK in 2017.

Head coach Hilton Moreeng's ladies also made the T20 World Cup semis in Australia and again lost to the host nation in the last four.

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Luus wants her charges to rewrite this particular script.

"In the past, we have always been seen as the underdogs, but I think we have shown in the last few years that we are a team to be reckoned with," Luus told the ICC.

"We have shown consistent performances in difficult countries like India and the West Indies.

"We also had a great T20 World Cup two years ago in Australia and turned some heads.

"I hope that we do the same this year and hopefully reach that final that we've been missing out on, on three different occasions."

Despite losing regular skipper Dane van Niekerk to a left ankle fracture weeks before the tournament, Luus reckons they have a strong enough team to challenge for the world title.

South Africa came off a 2-1 one-day series win against West Indies at home as they completed their fifth consecutive ODI series win.

They also boast batter Lizelle Lee who ended 2021 as the highest run-scorer in women's ODI cricket, scoring 632 runs in 12 matches at an average of 90.28, getting named ICC Women's ODI Cricketer-of-the-Year.

South Africa also boast three bowlers in the top 10 of the ODI rankings: Shabnim Ismail (5th), all-rounder