First Class Series edges closer as domestic season begins

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.

1ST CLASS SERIES 🚀

Red ball cricket is making its return, bringing endurance, strategy and skill to the forefront. 🏏

Long spells. Big partnerships. Relentless pressure. This is where patience meets precision in every session.#1stClassSeries #DCSA #Unbreakable pic.twitter.com/IVVeLlqBvB — CSA Domestic Leagues (@DomesticCSA) September 2, 2026

“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.

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.

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.

Fixtures are available on cricket.co.za and the CSA App.