Most cricket unions in South Africa schedule women’s club cricket on Sundays. It’s practical: most men’s fixtures take place on Saturdays, which frees up fields for the women’s game the following day.

But today, Sunday, 2 November, is no ordinary Sunday for the South African cricket community, especially for the women who play club cricket and those who aspire to.

The Proteas Women will be making South African sporting history when they face India in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final. Not only is this their first-ever World Cup final appearance, but they are also the first senior South African side, men or women, to reach a cricket World Cup final. Regardless of the result, this team has already shifted the landscape: more girls will feel inspired to pick up a bat, and hopefully, more South Africans will follow the women’s game. A win would amplify that impact even further, drawing unprecedented attention, awareness, and most importantly, investment into women’s cricket.

Given the magnitude of this moment, women’s club cricket should have been suspended on Sunday, 2 November, so that players and supporters can watch the Proteas together. Cricket unions should have been organising community watch parties at their stadiums, intentionally catering to women’s cricket players and young girls in their pipelines.

Teams wanting to make it a team-building moment can simply host their own viewing session at their club facilities, provided they have access to the broadcast.

This match will undoubtedly be remembered in South African and global cricket history. With India in the final, it may become the most-watched women’s cricket match ever. Should India win, South Africa will still be remembered as the side that helped elevate global interest and viewership. But one thing is clear: even though the Proteas defeated India in the group stages, they enter this final as underdogs. Broadcasters and administrators know exactly what an India win means commercially.

All the more reason the Proteas Women need every ounce of support. Club cricketers, provincial players, and fans alike should be watching, engaging, and rallying behind the team. As for provincial players, their fixtures can be moved to Monday or played under lights on Sunday evening.

This is a golden moment, one that Cricket South Africa and the provincial unions should be leveraging far more boldly. Right now, it feels like a missed PR opportunity at a time when women’s cricket deserves to take centre stage.