As the 2024/25 T20 Challenge concluded this past weekend, the focus shifts to red-ball cricket with the 4-Day Series commencing this week.
On Wednesday, Hollywoodbets Dolphins will host the World Sports Betting Western Province at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead in Durban.
Western Province, last season’s 4-Day finalists, enter the series aiming to build on the momentum from their strong showing in the T20 Challenge, where they narrowly missed the final after a remarkable Eliminator victory.
Salieg Nackerdien, head coach of Western Province, shared his thoughts before the opening match: "We’re looking forward to a great four-day campaign, starting with the Dolphins in Durban. Some of our players currently with the national team will join us in the second game, but we’re confident that those selected for this opener are prepared to perform well. With a quick turnaround from the T20 to this campaign, we’ve ensured our preparations are solid.
"This season promises to be a fantastic and educational one, especially for our younger players stepping into larger roles while some seniors are away. They’ll have valuable opportunities to gain experience, and we’re all focused on reaching another final this season, which is a key objective for us. With our squad’s depth, we’re confident we can achieve this, fostering growth for the players as they adapt to the demands of four-day cricket," said Nackerdien.
Meanwhile, Dolphins, who have had a good run in the previous two seasons with both competitions, falling short in the 2023/24 T20 Challenge final and champions of the 4-Day Series 2022/23 will look to forget their recent T20 Challenge campaign.
Head coach Quinton Friend commented on the team’s readiness: "The shift to four-day cricket is all about mindset. We moved quickly past the T20 competition, and our focus now is fully on the upcoming series. We’ve had a few extra preparation days compared to some of our opponents, which has been beneficial.
“Our success in this competition over recent years speaks to the strength of our approach and preparation, and we’ve fine-tuned areas to ensure we start strong against Western Province on Wednesday,” said Friend.
The series will also feature more action from Thursday. Goldrush Boland will host the Knights in Paarl, while Auto Investments North West Dragons travel to Gqeberha to face the Dafabet Warriors at the Dafabet St George’s Park.
In Division 2, Eastern Cape Iinyathi will take on Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers in Buffalo Park, East London and Limpopo Impalas will host Eastern Storm in Polokwane.
Fixtures
Division 1
Wednesday-Saturday: Hollywoodbets Dolphins v World Sports Betting Western Province - Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Durban
Thursday-Sunday: Goldrush Boland v Knights - Boland Park, Paarl
Thursday-Sunday: Dafabet Warriors v Auto Investments North West Dragons - Dafabet St George's Park, Gqeberha
Division 2
Thursday-Sunday: Eastern Cape Iinyathi v Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers - Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium, East London
Thursday-Sunday: Limpopo Impalas v Eastern Storm - Polokwane Cricket Club, Polokwane
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