JOHANNESBURG: The 2025/26 1 Day Cup begins this week as the country’s best domestic teams battle it out for the coveted 50 over title which will close out the season.
It’s been a jam-packed season of cricket with the Dafabet Warriors and DP World Lions winning the T20 Challenge and 4 Day Series titles, respectively.
The teams go into the 1 Day Cup trying to take the title off the Hollywoodbets Dolphins who beat Goldrush Boland in the final last season.
Ahead of the tournament, Dolphins coach Quinton Friend knows that his team will be doing all they can to win back-to-back 50 over titles.
“There is definitely motivation to defend our title in the 1 Day Cup,” Friend said. “We’ve had significant time to prepare for the competition, but we must remember that it is a new season.
“Last season we got onto a good run of form after the first quarter of the competition and managed to win seven on the trot to win the tournament.
“I still think that it’s important that you start the tournament well because you don’t want to play catch-up cricket.
“We’ve trained exceptionally well and at the stage the boys are ready to go and are excited for the challenge that’s to come.”
The Dolphins will face the Warriors in the competition opener down in Gqeberha at St George’s Park on Friday afternoon before the tournament kicks into gear over the weekend.
In match two the DP World Lions will host World Sports Betting Western Province on Saturday before two matches take place on Sunday.
The Momentum Multiply Titans take on Goldrush Boland at SuperSport Park while the Moothee Ram Tuskers host the NWU North West Dragons at the AET Pietermaritzburg Oval.
Making the early trip to the Eastern Cape will be a difficult task for Friend and his Dolphins chargers.
“The Warriors are quality outfit, we know that. They are well drilled and well coached with high quality players.
“We have got to make sure that we do our homework properly which we have been doing and make sure that we are at our best and control what we can control going into that opening match,” Friend added.
This season’s 1 Day Cup will culminate in the final on Sunday, 29 March.
Source: cricket.co.za
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