Photo Credit: Cricket South Africa
The inaugural divisional CSA Four-Day Domestic Series gets underway across the country this weekend, with the first round of matches being hosted at seven venues nationwide from Friday, 29 October to Monday, 01 November.
Under the new domestic structure, South Africa’s premium First Class competition has adopted a two-division league format with eight member unions represented in Division One, while Division Two is made up of seven teams who were part of the last season’s CSA Three-Day Cup.
All teams will play each other home and away, with the two log-leaders after seven and six rounds of games respectively, crowned champions.in March 2022.
In the opening round, Division One offers mouthwatering clashes with the Six Gun Grill Western Province starting the season off against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in Cape Town, the ITEC Knights going head-to-head with the GbetsRocks while the Imperial Lions host the North West Dragons in Johannesburg.
The fourth and final game of the round features the Momentum Multiply Titans taking on the Warriors at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
The action from the 2021/22 CSA Four-Day Domestic Series Division One and Two will be streamed live on the CSA YouTube page from 10h00 daily.
In preparation for the games, this is what some of the Division One coaches and captains had to say ahead of an enthralling red-ball campaign –
Western Province captain, Zubayr Hamza –
“The preparations have been really good. We have built on the environment for the T20 tournament. The guys have been continuously prepping for the four-day competition and everyone is in high spirits.
The goal is to win our home games, make Newlands a fortress again and build on from there. The opening game is at home against a strong Dolphins side, which we respect and fully know what they are capable of but we back ourselves to put in good performances,”
Dolphins captain, Marques Ackerman –
“Moving from white-ball cricket straight into four-day cricket has been quite a quick turnaround for us. Our preparation was all before the season started. The guys have played four-day cricket before and the guys will go back to basics and we can hit the ground in the first game at Newlands.
Knights captain, Pite van Biljon –
“Our preparation has been pretty good, we come from a T20 competition and the guys can handle the state of play.
We don’t set specific goals for any competition, we just take it one game at a time and in the game against the Rocks, we will see what happens with the toss and take it one session at a time,”
Rocks captain, Pieter Malan –
“It will be a bit of a challenge moving to four-day cricket after focusing on the T20 Knock Out cup but the guys have been putting in work, lengthening our training session and trying to get more overs into the legs.
“Our goals going into Division One is to do as well as we can and to win trophies, and I think we have got a squad that can definitely do that, so I am excited to see how we go into this four-day competition.
Lions head coach, Wandile Gwavu –
“The preparations have been good, we got a couple of extra weeks after we got knocked out (of the TKO) in the first round but it’s all been good and we look forward to the beginning of the season.
“Nothing has changed from the preparation we had going into the T20 competition, it’s still the execution of our skills and there’s growth that still needs to take place within our new squads, so we are looking forward to the opportunities that will be given to the youngsters and to see them take those opportunities,”
Dragons captain, Nicky van der Bergh –
“Going into four-day cricket, it has been a quick turnaround having made it to the semi-finals of the T20 competition, there were only one or two days to prepare for four-day cricket.
“That’s part of the challenge of being a professional cricketer, the turnaround times are sometimes very quick and you just have to cope with it and deal with it. It’s more mental preparation than anything else needed to adapt to the four-day format,”
Titans coach, Mandla Mashimbyi –
“The game of cricket doesn’t change much, if there’s a difference (between the two formats), the difference is time.In four-day cricket you just have to bat longer and take more time into consideration and guys understand that.
Ït’s just a mindset shift required from our boys, to make sure they are mentally fresh and mentally prepared in terms of what they are about to face against the Warriors,”
In Division Two, only four teams will be in action with the Hollywoodbets Tuskers pitting their skills against the Eastern Storm, while the Eastern Cape Iinyathi travel up to the north to face the Limpopo Impalas at the Polokwane Cricket Club.
CSA 4-Day Domestic Series Round 1 Fixtures (Friday, 29 October – Monday, 01 November; All matches start at 10h00):
Division One:
Six Gun Grill Western Province vs Hollywoodbets Dolphins (Six Gun Grill Newlands, Cape Town)
ITEC Knights vs GbetsRocks (Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein)
Imperial Lions vs North West Dragons (Imperial Wanderers, Johannesburg)
Momentum Multiply Titans vs Gbets Warriors
Division Two:
Hollywoodbets Tuskers vs Eastern Storm (Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg)
Limpopo Impalas vs Eastern Cape Iinyathi (Polokwane Cricket Club, Polokwane)
CSA 4-Day Domestic Series DIvision One Contracted Squads:
GBETS ROCKS: Janneman Malan, Pieter Malan, Hardus Viljoen, Is-maeel Gaffieldien, Ferisco Adams, Siyabonga Mahima, Christiaan Jonker, Ruan Terblanche, Imraan Manack, Shaun von Berg, Micheal Copeland, Zakhele Qwabe, Clyde Fortuin, Stiaan van Zyl, Ziyaad Abrahams.
GBETS WARRIORS: Matthew Breetzke, Wihan Lubbe, Sinetemba Qeshile, Jon Jon Smuts, Eddie Moore, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman, Rudi Second, Akhona Mnyaka, Lesiba Ngoepe, Diego Rosier, Tristan Stubbs, Dane Paterson, Kabelo Sekhukhune, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Tsepo Ndwandwa.
ITEC KNIGHTS: Mbulelo Budaza, Gerald Coetzee, Patrick Kruger, Wandile Makwetu, Migael Pretorius, Jacques Snyman, Pite Van Biljon, Raynard Van Tonder, Farhaan Behardien, Patrick Botha, Matthew Kleinveldt, Gregory Mohlokwana, Mangaliso Mosehle,Alfred Mothoa, Dilivio Ridgaard, Nealan van Heerden.
IMPERIAL LIONS: Bjorn Fortuin, Wiaan Mulder, Lutho Sipamla, Kagiso Rapulana, Ryan Rickleton, Joshua Richards, Sisanda Magala, Dominic Hendricks, Tladi Bokako, Malusi Siboto, Duanne Alivier, Ruan Haasbroek, Tshepo Ntuli, Mitchell Van Buuren, Codi Yusuf, Levert Manje.
HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Marques Ackerman, Ottneil Baartman, Eathan Bosch, Ruan De Swardt, Daryn Dupavillon, SJ Erwee, Thamsanqa Khumalo, Kerwin Mungroo, Lifa Ntanzi, Thando Ntini, Bryce Parsons, Keegan Petersen, Grant Roelofsen, JasonSmith, Prenelan Subrayen, Khaya Zondo.
MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Lizaad Williams, Okhule Cele, Theunis De Bryn, Dayyaan Galiem, Gihan Cloete, Junior Dala, Neil Brand, Sibonelo Makhanya, Corbin Bosch, Aaron Phangiso, Chris Morris, Dewald Brevis, Ayabulela Gqamane, Jiveshen Pillay, Grant Mokoena, Simon Harmer.
NORTH WEST DRAGONS: Delano Potgieter, Lesego Senokwane, Nicholas van den Bergh, Senuran Muthusamy, Nono Pongolo, Eldred Hawken, Heino Kuhn, Lwandiswa Zuma, Shaylen Pillay, Wesley Marshall, Ndumiso Mvelase, Eben Botha, Johannes Diseko, Duan Jansen, Chad Classen, Jason Oakes.
SIX GUN GRILL WESTERN PROVINCE: Yaseen Vallie, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Hashim Amla, Kyle Verreynne, George Linde, Kyle Simmonds, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nandre Burger, Tshepo Moreki, David Bedingham, Aiwe Mgijima, Vernon Philander, Basheer Walters, Wayne Parnell, Jonathan Bird.
