South African Domestic Season 2025/26

[Magrat Garlick]

I had no idea that someone who last played an international match in 2002 (!) was playing domestic cricket. Much less one with an Olympic medal. Looks like she returned to professional cricket after a 19-year break, which is something.

be interested to see her bowling action :ninja:

 

[SeamUp]

Whilst we wait on official squad releases or more confirmed transfers let's see how squads are shaping up.

View attachment 47318

CSA Contracted: Tony De Zorzi (28), David Bedingham (31), Kyle Verreynne (28), Nandre Burger (30)

Batsmen: Edward Moore (32), Josh van Heerden (27), Jiveshan Pillay (26), Jono Bird (24), Daniel Smith (23), Valentine Kitime (22)

Wk/batsmen: Bongile Mfunelwa (21), Benni Hansen (19)

Bat/seam AR: Mihlali Mpongwana (25), Oliver Whitehead (20)

Spinners: George Linde (34), Kyle Simmonds (31), Juan James (21)

Seamers: Dane Paterson (36), Beuran Hendricks (35), Jody Lawrence (35), Tshepo Moreki (32), Mthiwekhaya Nabe (30), Raeeq Daniels (19)

Confirmed WP contracted squad for 2025/26

1. Moore
2. Van Heerden
3. Pillay
4. Bird
5. D Smith
6. Kitime
7. Mfunelwa (rookie)
8. Mpongwana
9. Whitehead
10. Linde
11. Simmonds
12. James
13. Paterson
14. B Hendricks
15. Moreki
16. Nabe
17. Daniels (rookie)

+ CSA contracted

So nothing for Lawrence & Hansen has gone to SWD.

 

[GRAB]

Few more squads out... Here's Mpumalanga Men's.

No Kieran Kenny, not sure where he's off to if anywhere. It is pity given WP's shortage of young seamers that he's just kind of drifting around.
Good for Kwena's big brother, who last played a game for Gauteng in 2022, to have an outlet. It's so much more difficult for spinners to develop...
On the whole 2/13 homegrown players, even lower than SWD, plus 4 C Gauteng, 2 ZN Inland, 2 Northern Cape, 1 each E Gauteng, N Gauteng, 1 WP. If Mpumalanga and Eastern Gauteng were merged (the way W Gauteng and North-West Effectively are) and Limpopo and N Gauteng, I wouldn't cry. I get what they're aspiring toward, in terms of broadening cricket beyond urban centres, but it's not viable. (Kei and Border on the ladies side too, the men's side already has.)

 

[GRAB]

Eastern Gauteng men's, but no HPC's listed (same as last year, I strongly suspect Marais and M Khumalo, the two new contracts, had them last year).

Missing, presumed retired: Wes Marshall, Rossouw and Ngcobo.
Missing, quite young to retire, but not impossibly so - Aron Visser.
6/11 locally developed, and IMO Eastern Gauteng always seems to have the broadest representation of all the unions ito of schools. 3/11 N Gauteng, the "big brother" union and 1 each from Boland and Gauteng. I did figure out Andrew Rasemene's high school, but now I've lost track of it again...

 

[SeamUp]

Eastern Gauteng men's, but no HPC's listed (same as last year, I strongly suspect Marais and M Khumalo, the two new contracts, had them last year).

Missing, presumed retired: Wes Marshall, Rossouw and Ngcobo.
Missing, quite young to retire, but not impossibly so - Aron Visser.
6/11 locally developed, and IMO Eastern Gauteng always seems to have the broadest representation of all the unions ito of schools. 3/11 N Gauteng, the "big brother" union and 1 each from Boland and Gauteng. I did figure out Andrew Rasemene's high school, but now I've lost track of it again...

With less money going around, Div 2 contracts will be more volatile you imagine.

Dewan Marais & Martin Khumalo out of SA U19s so hopefully they can have big seasons next season. It's how I'm mainly looking at Div 2 now. Feeding talent into Div 1.

But saying that, serious experience with Grant Thomson, Ernest Kemm, Chris Britz, Jurie Snyman & Kabelo Sekhukhune. Should they be doing better?

I've heard Northern Cape (But they will always be Griqualand West to me ha) may lose the Diamond Oval. So much mismanagement there and at Border and Easterns that so many unions have gone past them.

 

[GRAB]

WP Men.

I'd also add nothing for Bayoumy, who did little wrong. And even if he didn't look anything special, and often, when he has played in the last 2 years, he didn't bat or bowl and basically was played as a specialist fielder... Still has a CSA50 strike rate of 120 and bowling average of 11 (somehow, bowling wobbly little medium pacers)...

12/21 locally developed, and oddly, no Boland or SWD players. Rest from all over - 3 KZN (2 coastal, 1 inland), 2 EC (1 EP, 1 Border), 4 Gauteng (2 central, 2 northern)

 

[GRAB]

WP Ladies squad, possibly lacking HPC's (last year's pair, De Leede and Botha, lack contracts), has shrunk from 17 to 13, in stark contrast to Gauteng's fat 24. Along with last year's HPC's, Saarah Smith and Kelsey Adams... In 2022, WP Ladies' had 11+5 HPC'S and 6 national contracts for 22...

 

[SeamUp]

Knights have given in and admitted to relegation.

Was always going to happen.

 

[SeamUp]

WP Ladies squad, possibly lacking HPC's (last year's pair, De Leede and Botha, lack contracts), has shrunk from 17 to 13, in stark contrast to Gauteng's fat 24. Along with last year's HPC's, Saarah Smith and Kelsey Adams... In 2022, WP Ladies' had 11+5 HPC'S and 6 national contracts for 22...

That's Bas De Leede's sister? She signed for Boland.

https://x.com/ClubCricketSA/status/1924800032668017096?t=LyYtMCdkpVUUoBePe8rTTg&s=19

 

[Stefan9]

Knights decided not to drag it out. I think CSA are lucky they decided to be the nice guys. The system changing from next season probably played a role.

Knights officially relegated, Warriors stay up

The Free State Cricket Union has accepted its relegation to Division 2 next season following a mediation process with CSA.

www.sacricketmag.com

 

[Bahseph]

I had no idea that someone who last played an international match in 2002 (!) was playing domestic cricket. Much less one with an Olympic medal. Looks like she returned to professional cricket after a 19-year break, which is something.

Wait who are we talking about here?

 

[Dendarii]

Wait who are we talking about here?

I would assume Sunette Viljoen.

 

[GRAB]

Wait who are we talking about here?

Viljoen, South African javelin silver medalist and batting all-rounder (returning as a batter only). Also plays under married and hyphenated names making her stats a bit of a mess though.

 

[SeamUp]

View attachment 47354

CSA Contracted: David Miller (36), Keshav Maharaj (35)

Batsmen: Jon-Jon Smuts (37), Khaya Zondo (35), Jason Smith (31), Marques Ackerman (29), Bryce Parsons (24), Slade van Staden (22), Romashan Pillay (20)

Wk/batsmen: Tshepang Dithole (32), Hanu Viljoen (24)

Bat/seam AR: Eathan Bosch (27), Andile Simelane (22)

Spinners: Prenelan Subrayen (32)

Seamers: Ottneil Baartman (32), Okuhle Cele (28), Tristan Luus (20), Nqobani Mokoena (19)

I didn't include Banele Cele and Bradley Porteous. Just can't see how they will play much. I'm a big fan of Ross Coetzee (broke Chad Bowes' and all Kearney College's records) but maybe a gap opens up for him when JJ Smuts retires. He along with Blake Simpson and Semal Pillay were in the Dolphins Colts batting line-up back end of last season.

Dolphins confirm this is their 16 + CSA contracted.

Pillay & Mokoena on rookies.

For coach Quinton Friend he feels that it’s important that the team that got them success last
season is trusted going into the new season.
“For us it’s important that we show these players that we believe in them enough to perform
at this level and that’s why we’ve kept the majority of the same squad,” Friend said.
“SJ Erwee and Daryn Dupavillon have been great stalwarts for Dolphins cricket and we wish
them well going forward.
“We are really looking forward to see what this squad of players can produce for us in the new
season.”
The Dolphins men’s squad continues to build on the local talent that comes out of the
province and Mokoena and Van Staden are proof of that. Friend believes it’s an asset to have
strong local talent coming through.
“Our KZN pipeline is definitely doing something special, and we find that players from our
pipeline are coming through every season.
“It’s important that we look after the younger players that are coming through that pipeline
and give them the opportunity to play for the Dolphins.”

 

[GRAB]

Dolphins confirm this is their 16 + CSA contracted.

Pillay & Mokoena on rookies.

For coach Quinton Friend he feels that it’s important that the team that got them success last
season is trusted going into the new season.
“For us it’s important that we show these players that we believe in them enough to perform
at this level and that’s why we’ve kept the majority of the same squad,” Friend said.
“SJ Erwee and Daryn Dupavillon have been great stalwarts for Dolphins cricket and we wish
them well going forward.
“We are really looking forward to see what this squad of players can produce for us in the new
season.”
The Dolphins men’s squad continues to build on the local talent that comes out of the
province and Mokoena and Van Staden are proof of that. Friend believes it’s an asset to have
strong local talent coming through.
“Our KZN pipeline is definitely doing something special, and we find that players from our
pipeline are coming through every season.
“It’s important that we look after the younger players that are coming through that pipeline
and give them the opportunity to play for the Dolphins.”

Quite a lean squad, wonder if Porteous will get a signing elsewhere? For those counting 6/18 locally developed (+4 KZN Inland), 5 Gauteng, 1 EP, 2 WP players... Northwood, Glenwood & Westville with two each (The Inland are two Maritzburg and two Hilton). Porteous would've added one for Kearsney. Whatever happened to DHS?

 

[GRAB]

KZN Coastal ladies'. Very young side, but even so a serious dearth of batting skill in that squad, even though it seems Andrews & Nyovane and moved on from Garden Route, they're not exactly big signings. Kiara Fisher not re-signed, but was at best their 4th spinner with Naidu's rise...

10 local players (+2 inland), 4 EP (all Border, who have produced a lot of women's cricketers), 1 WP (Garden Route), and 1 Namibia

 

[SeamUp]

Quite a lean squad, wonder if Porteous will get a signing elsewhere? For those counting 6/18 locally developed (+4 KZN Inland), 5 Gauteng, 1 EP, 2 WP players... Northwood, Glenwood & Westville with two each (The Inland are two Maritzburg and two Hilton). Porteous would've added one for Kearsney. Whatever happened to DHS?

Good question. The once powerhouse seems to be getting back to producing again with Semal Pillay, Buyanda Majola, Ismaeel Omar, Josh van Biljon, Taine Havemann & Bonga Maphaka some of the names to watch.

KZN cricket were lucky they had so many schools with cricketing tradition that there should always be peaks and troughs.

Like who would have thought King Edward in Joburg would be going through the same.

 

[SeamUp]

On paper Tuskers have an uphill battle to not be relegated again & it becomes a yo-yo with Knights. Boland relied on certain wickets and senior players who are getting on. So they still remain under the biggest threat.

 

[GRAB]

On paper Tuskers have an uphill battle to not be relegated again & it becomes a yo-yo with Knights. Boland relied on certain wickets and senior players who are getting on. So they still remain under the biggest threat.

View attachment 47906

Jason Oakes who signed for them last season and didn't play a game (???) the only name missing, but had a feeling he might have quietly retired... Their biggest weakness last time they were up was batting, especially limited overs batting. Their bowling if the likes of Viljoen, Dupavillon, Budaza, Parnell stay fit should be more than enough to spring a few surprises...

3/19 Locally produced (+2 KZN Coastal), 5 Gauteng (4 Central, 1 Northerns), 3 "Central" (2 FS, 1 NW), 3 EP, 3 WP. Don't have official HS's for Rapulana (Ken Borland article suggests Meadowlands >Primary< in Soweto) and Marcello Piedt (conflicting reports between somewhere in CT or Oudtshoorn).

 

[GRAB]

Garden Route women, aka the Motley Crew. Impressive to have 12 unions represented in a squad of 15, with only Annerie Dercksen locally produced. Only WP (2), KZN (2) and NW (2) have more than 1. Only unions not represented: Limpopo, Kei (only exists in ladies) Eastern Gauteng and KZN Inland.

Surprised that Cilliers, Swart and Yekile in particular didn't move over to NW, all having originated or played there originally. Also for Swartz from NC, NW would seem a good fit? Those plus Brits and Viljoen playing for Gauteng are already the nucleus of the previously strong NW side that drifted from them when they were first relegated...