Five teams - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Air India - are taking part in the 15th Senior South Zone women's cricket championship to be conducted by the Tamil Nadu Women's Cricket Association (TNWCA) in Chennai from February 12 to 16.

The matches will be played on a round robin format with each team playing the other in a one day 50 overs a side match. The two top teams and Air India will qualify for the Senior Nationals. This is an important competition as the performances here will also be the criteria for selection to the South Zone team competing for the inter-zonal Rani Jhansi Trophy, the premier tournament in the annual calendar of the Women's Cricket Association of India. Besides, the top team along with Air India, will also qualify for the annual Indira Priyadarshini Trophy tournament. Air India, one of the top two teams in womens' cricket, will also be fielding a team for the inter-zonals.

According to a press release from Shilu Ranganathan, president, TNWCA, the New Zealand women's team, winner in the recent CricInfo World Cup, is touring India in the winter of 2001 and the leading Indian players will be keen to do well in these tournaments to be among the national probables.

All matches will be played on the A and B grounds of the Shri Ramachandra Medical college and Research Institute grounds in Porur. The winning team in each match will get four points while two points each will be given for a match that is abandoned or ends in a tie.

The Tamil Nadu team for the tournament: Manju (captain), D Kamakshi (vice captain), Jayanthi (wicketkeeper), Sejal Savla, Sehal Savla, Vidisha, Amsavalli, Arti Sankaran, Tejasri, Mahalakshmi, Lakshmi Priya, V Shubha, Vinoda, Bhairavi, Abhirami, Madhavi and PK Dharmalingam (coach).

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