Johannesburg – 10 April 2025:
When Kirstie Thomson laid down her bat and gloves having scored a run-a-ball 45 on March 23rd at her beloved DP World Wanderers Stadium, it marked the end of an era for #ThePrideOfJozi as their leading career run-scorer retired from the game.
The figures alone are immense. In 91 Pro50 matches for our DP World Lions, Thomson amassed 2697 runs at an average of 35.02, with three centuries, including a record-breaking 203. In T20 cricket, she represented #ThePrideOfJozi 52 times and scored 1306 runs at a brilliant average of 30.37. Her 109 is also the highest ever score for the team in the shortest format.
Although primarily known as a batter, Thomson also took 100 wickets across the two white-ball formats for the DP World Lions.
But far more than just her runs and wickets, it was the tremendous example Thomson set on and off the field that make her a true DP World Lions legend.
As CEO Jono Leaf-Wright explains:
“Kirstie has been an exceptionally loyal servant of the DP World Lions and has really inspired the next generation of girls. The way she balanced her work and her studies to become a doctor, a tough professional career, with her cricket and how she produced the goods for us year in and year out, was truly incredible.
“It’s been a real privilege to have her inside the changeroom and outside of the field of play as well. We really appreciate what she has given this Union over so many years and we are grateful for the support of her family and husband for giving her the time to be with us.
“We know that Kirstie will stay a loyal supporter and friend of the DP World Lions and we really appreciate the leadership she has always shown,” Leaf-Wright says.
While Thomson’s skill and hard work gave her career the aerodynamics to soar as high as the Proteas – she represented South Africa 15 times – she fully understands how tough the ups-and-downs of a cricket career can be for young players.
“I’m definitely retiring with no regrets, although my time with the Proteas does leave me with a bit of a sour taste. I was probably not ready to play international cricket in 2009 because when I was younger, my focus was on my numbers. So I was quite disappointed with my career for South Africa, but I was so young and not really ready and then medicine became my focus.
“I would definitely want my legacy to be the importance of balance. That cricket does not define you as a person, that your runs or wickets aren’t the measure of whether you are a failure or a success. You really shouldn’t have all your eggs in that one basket called cricket,” Thomson says.
But while playing in the Green and Gold left her blue at times, Thomson says playing in the gold of the DP World Lions has left her with many golden memories.
“I just love being on the field with this Lions team and winning the Pro50 competition was the perfect cherry on top. It shows where the team is and how far it has come. And it’s been wonderful to see 12-year-olds develop into senior players now. I kinda wish I was 20 again, but it’s been wonderful to end on a high, with a trophy.
“It’s incredible to play for the DP World Lions and their pipeline is phenomenal. You’re lucky when you play for so long that you see the growth of so many players, you see them mature in their profession and as a person. It truly is a family here at the union.
“As a White, middle-class girl, I’ve been privileged to be able to make friends from all walks of life through cricket. I’ve been to the homes of my team-mates in Alex and Soweto, and they’ve been to mine. Winning the T20 trophy on the day my good friend Yolani Fourie retired in 2023 was special, as is winning the 50-over now. The atmosphere at the DP World Wanderers was amazing and the Titans are one of my favourite teams to play against, so that made it even more special. And I saw little kids from my old school, De La Salle Holy Cross College, at the ground.
“I thought I was the only girl in the world playing cricket when I started, but in the last couple of seasons I have seen little girls on the side of the field getting things signed. Now finally they have proper role-models,” Thomson says.
DP World Lions coach Shaun Pretorius reveals that Thomson is a forthright character, but even when they disagreed, he would never get hot under the collar with her due to the huge respect he has for the now 36-year-old.
“There were great moments of joy with Kirstie and it was really a joy to work with her. Myself and Kirstie had our fair share of disagreements, but all for the better of the DP World Lions team. In 2019, when I started at the Lions, everyone knowing the club structures spoke to me about Kirstie Thomson, that she’s back playing club cricket and how she used to play for the Proteas before going into her studies.
“So we invited her into the Lions women’s space and did she not fit in from day one! Kirstie will always remind our now professional and high performance players how far the system has come: they can now play at the big stadiums and wear fitted clothing and not men’s XL sizes.
“Kirstie is a very professional, dedicated, passionate and committed person for whatever she takes on. Through the busy schedule of being a doctor on call, to still find the time to train, hit the gym and share her knowledge and experience with the younger or less experienced players, Kirstie played a pivotal role in the success the Lions have achieved in the last three seasons.
“What a great legacy she will leave behind. The DP World Lions women’s team will for sure miss her voice, her shouts of joy on the field, and we wish her nothing but the best for her future endeavours and we know that whatever she will take on, it will be perfect,” Pretorius says.
For now, Thomson is busy specialising in radiology, but the Good Doctor assured, “I will find a way to give back to cricket in Gauteng, because this is where home is and the DP World Lions have looked after me so well.”