Advertisement

Former South Africa Women's World Cup cricketer Elriesa Theunissen-Fourie and her child were killed in a car crash this weekend, police confirmed on Sunday.

The fatal accident occurred in the northwestern mining town of Stilfontein, a police spokesman told AFP.

Speaking about the incident, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said, she died "motor car accident in Stilfontein, North West. The life of her child was also lost in the accident."

"This is a dreadful tragedy in the true sense of that word," said CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe. "This is devastating news for all of us.

"Elriesa did so much for the community in which she lived and gave excellent service both as a national player and in the work she did at grassroots level.

"On behalf of the CSA family, I extend our deepest sympathy to her husband, her family, friends and all her cricketing colleagues."

All-rounder Theunissen-Fourie, 25, represented South Africa in four internationals -- three ODIs and one Twenty20 -- and was part of the 2013 World Cup squad. In domestice cricket, she represented North West Dragon.

Theunissen-Fourie, who would have turned 26 on May 2, made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka women and last played against Bangladesh women in 2013.

Advertisement