Dolphins and Western Province look to kickstart their 4-Day Series campaigns

The Dolphins may be starting their CSA Four-Day Series campaign a week later than their rivals, but captain Marques Ackerman feels they are more than ready to get cracking against in-form Boland this week.

A large contingent of the Dolphins squad have been active during the winter playing for various teams ranging from SA A, SA Emerging and National Academy.

“A big group of our guys have played a lot of cricket going into the first game of the season which is a positive thing for us,” Ackerman said.

 “The boys that have been at home have had some pre-season warm-up matches and a T10 competition which has given them a chance to prepare nicely for this week.

“If anything, we’ll be going into this one with fresher legs and a bit more excited to get the season going.

 “We’re not looking much into what Boland have done in their first game but rather focusing on what’s required from us going into this match.”

Meanwhile, Western Province are looking to bounce back against joint-defending champions, the Lions, this week in their first home game at Newlands.

The Lions, like the Dolphins enjoyed a bye during the opening round of fixtures, while Province lost narrowly to the Warriors in a Gqeberha.

Fast bowler Tshepo Moreki, who claimed a five-for in the second innings, is eager to continue his good form against his former team after moving back to Cape Town this season after a couple of years up on the Highveld.

“It’s been a good couple of years for me plugging away, doing the right things and getting recognised by the higher ups which has helped me grow as a cricketer. I’ve really been enjoying my cricket and coming home to help a young group of players is where I see my career going,” said Moreki.

“Understanding my game more and staying relaxed has been key for me in my growth as a cricketer. My home life is stable, and it all plays a part in where I am in my career.

“The Lions are a good team, obviously they’ll always be a good team on paper – whichever eleven they put it out there.

“But we have to worry about ourselves, I think we did a lot of good things last week – but we also did a lot of things that need to be worked on.

“So, the focus this week is on us more than the Lions. And if we play good enough cricket, we should get over the line against them.”

Full Division 1 fixtures 2-5 October 2025

• Tuskers vs Warriors, Pietermaritzburg Oval, 9am
• Boland vs Dolphins, Boland Park, 10am
• Western Province vs Lions, 10am
• NW Dragons vs Eastern Storm, 10am