Red-ball cricket takes centre stage as South African cricket season begins with a bang

The Cricket South Africa (CSA) 2026/27 domestic season is fast approaching, with the newly rebranded 1st Class Series getting underway on Thursday.

The red-ball competition, which dates back more than a century, returns in an exciting new form from 10 September, as the DP World Lions look to defend the title they won last season against seven other Division 1 teams all vying for a place at the top.

The competition, which has served as a pathway for aspiring cricketers into the Test arena for decades, will continue to be one of the most coveted titles among players and coaches alike.

The opening round of the series will see the defending champions looking to continue where they left off when they take on Boland at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, with their squad boosted by at least three Proteas as they look to get their season off to a strong start.

Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder will join Russell Domingo’s team as they look to sharpen up ahead of a demanding international summer.

The 2025/26 edition culminated in an eight-wicket win for the Lions over the Dafabet Warriors in February, earning them a third title in as many seasons, including a shared title the season before.

“All I can say is that we work tirelessly on our standards. We are very lucky that we’ve got the depth that we’ve got at the DP World Lions. You sit every season and you think, ‘What can I do better? What are the things we need to focus on to make us an even better side?’ And the rest of the country have got you fair and square in the crosshairs. So, we’ve just got to keep hammering away at what we’ve been doing over the last three years,” said Lions bowling coach Allan Donald.

The Lions head into a new season, eager to improve on a 2025/26 campaign that, even though it earned #ThePrideOfJozi more silverware, was a "bit disappointing" due to the top-class standards that the team is always striving to reach, according to senior

batsman Mitchell van Buuren.

The Lions completed a hat-trick of four-day titles last season, becoming the first team to do it since 1984/85, when they themselves claimed three Currie Cup crowns in a row in their former guise as the Transvaal 'Mean Machine'. Finishing top of the log in two of the three professional competitions is amammoth accomplishment and certainly cause for celebration.

However, Van Buuren says that they want to do better; "We weren't satisfied with last season because our goal is always to play to our standards, which we try to keep as high as possible. At the end of the day, it's all about how many trophies we win. We didn't get all three, so that was a bit disappointing but the bottom line is that we didn't really play well and there are no excuses."

Van Buuren only batted five times for the Lions in last season's triumphant campaign, scoring one century, but he is coming into this season with a spring in his step thanks to some sparkling recent form for the SA Emerging team which he captained. With knocks of 73; 171 and 86, he was deservedlynamed Player of the Series.

The 28-year-old is also delighted that this season's renamed 1st Class Series has been expanded so each team will play 10 round-robin matches.

"I'm taking a lot of confidence into this next season and I love it that four-day cricket has been increased. For many years we've wanted more and now there will be 10 four-day matches, which is great for our careers and also for providing more opportunities.

"As a player, I'm over the moon and I can't wait to get out in the middle. First-class cricket is what makes your game better for all formats, especially at the start of the season. You spend time at the crease and that flows over naturally into white-ball cricket. The new structure is much better, we could get 20 cracks at batting, which is what we've been begging for," Van Buuren says.

While three successive titles suggest our DP World Lions have mastered the art of four-day cricket, Van Buuren says there is still room for improvement. Coaching guru Domingo has similar selection conundrums to Springbok rugby coach Rassie Erasmus in that he needs to create depth while still ensuring there is no deterioration in standards.

"An area we can improve is keeping consistency in our standards," Van Buuren says. "Consistency is a word that's thrown around a lot, but if you have it then you know you're successful. We want to stay consistent for longer.

"But there are a lot of guys coming in and out of the team, which creates amazing opportunities for those on the fringes. But the challenge is that everyone coming in has to stick to the same high standards. Those high standards come from the top, from the CEO (Jono Leaf-Wright) all the way down.

"But it can be challenging to have a settled style of play and culture when you have to use so many players. Russell has kept pretty much the same squad over the last three seasons, which shows consistency and faith in the group, but we're going to need more players this season," Van Buuren says.

Batting star Quinton de Kock and fast bowler Gerald Coetzee pack even more punch into the Pride this season.

"It's great to have Gerald, he's one of the quickest bowlers in the country and never nice to play against. Quinton is also always great to have on your team even if we don't know how much he'll be able to play. He's just part of the Union, even though he's spent time away, he's a KES boy and has the Lions at heart. It's cool that he's back," Van Buuren says.

Across the Jukskei at SuperSport Park, the Momentum Multiply Titans will be looking for a solid start against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins as they aim for an improved season after finishing seventh last campaign.

The Dolphins will be excited by the return of the experienced Keshav Maharaj who will lead the team. There are a number of players missing on national duty or in the UK.

Seamer Keith Dudgeon is currently completing his county commitments with Kent, who are pushing for promotion, but is expected to return to the Dolphins environment in the coming weeks.

Under the new structure, Dolphins head coach Quinton Friend says the increased workload is a welcome development, although managing the demands on his squad will be crucial.

“It’s obviously great that we’re playing a bit more cricket. It’s something we’ve been asking for for quite some time. But ten games in a four-day competition becomes a lot longer than what you’ve been used to.

“Sometimes playing more cricket also helps the process. When you’re playing more, you’re probably better off.”

The Dolphins have also worked hard to build greater depth during the winter, something which could prove particularly important with a number of players potentially involved with the Proteas.

“It’s always tough when you’ve got international guys out but that provides opportunities for the broader depth of our squad. We definitely strengthened during the course of the winter.”

Friend believes patience will be required as the next generation develops, with some players potentially needing several seasons before they are ready to consistently compete at Division One level.

“That process can sometimes take three or four years to get them to a level where they’re competing against the best in Division One.”

At the same time, the Dolphins have made no secret of their ambitions. With the side regarded by Friend as one of the country's leading franchises, winning trophies remains firmly on the agenda.

“We’ve always got winning trophies in the back of our minds. When you’re one of the top three franchises in the country, which I feel we are, there’s a certain expectation.

The Dolphins head into Thursday's opener after a productive period of preparation, including a two-day team-building exercise which Friend says has brought the squad together ahead of the long season.

“It’s been a brilliant buy-in from everybody and I must say I’m super excited for the season to kick off.”

The Titans are expected to have several Proteas available for the opening fixture, giving the Dolphins' young players an immediate opportunity to test themselves against international-quality opposition.

“The Titans are a fantastic team, obviously well coached and well drilled and they’ve got a few Proteas in their environment.

“It’s important for us to focus on what we’re coming up against but not focus on the names. It’s about what’s coming your way, watching every ball and making sure we deal with every ball in the best possible manner.”

Ultimately, Friend knows the contest will be decided by the fundamentals of four-day cricket rather than reputations.

“It’s 11 v 11 and whoever is best over the four days will obviously be victorious. The focus for us is to keep it as simple as possible.

“Four-day cricket is about good discipline, and we’ve put a big focus and emphasis on that.”

Newcomers to the Dolphins Ntando Zuma and Joshua Richards as well as Bandile Mbatha and Bayanda Majola are in line for a Dolphins first class debut this week should they be selected in the playing XI.

Hollywoodbets Dolphins Squad v Momentum Multiply Titans

Keshav Maharaj (c), Tristan Luus, Hanu Viljoen, Ottniel Baartman, Bayanda Majola, Sean Gilson, Semal Pillay, Romashan Pillay, Joshua Richards, Khaya Zondo, Ntando Zuma, Bryce Parsons, Grant Roelfsen, Bandile Mbatha.

At YesPlay Newlands Cape Town, there will be a clash between two sides who had contrasting fortunes last time around. YesPlay Western Province Cobras will take on finalists, the Warriors, who came close to winning their first title in the competition.

In Bloemfontein, the Flexbrands Knights will be hoping to carry their Division 2 form into Division 1 after earning promotion ahead of the upcoming season. They will host the North West Dragons in their opening fixture.

The Knights have also bolstered their squad with the likes of Under-19 star Ntando Soni from the Warriors, Nico van Zyl from Border, Jono Bird from Western Province and Emmanuel Motswiri from Limpopo, while Lesego Senokwane returns from the Titans after being their top run-scorer in the 4-Day Series two seasons ago.

As part of CSA’s revamped domestic structure for 2026/27, each of the eight teams will play 10 matches this season, an increase of three from previous seasons.

There will be 12 rounds of matches played from this Thursday, with the Final scheduled to begin on 26 April 2027.