WSB Western Province Men eye strong start in opener against Dafabet Warriors

September 2025

NEWLANDS – World Sports Betting Western Province Men have fine-tuned every aspect of their preparations ahead of their season opener in the CSA Domestic 4-Day Series, as they gear up to face the Dafabet Warriors at St George’s Park on Thursday, 25 September 2025.

The Boys in Blue arrive fresh from their pre-season weekend tour in Durban, where they participated in the inaugural Metro T10 Cup, gaining valuable match practice and team cohesion ahead of the upcoming season.

Wicketkeeper-batter Daniel Smith says the team is eager to take to the field and put into practice all the skills and strategies they have honed during pre-season, aiming to start the campaign strongly and make an impact from the very first match.

“The pre-season has gone really well and the boys are itching to get onto the park. We’ve just come back from an unbelievable trip to Durban – thanks to Western Province for that,” said Smith.

“I think we got what we wanted out of it, but I think the excitement in the group is really exciting now. We’re itching to get onto the field and start the competition.”

Smith admits that facing the Warriors on their home turf won’t be easy, but he is confident that the Boys in Blue have the skills, determination, and team spirit to rise above the challenge and put in a strong performance.

“All our focus is on the first game against the Warriors this week in Gqeberha and I think it’s going to be a great game and a good contest between both bat and ball.,” he said.

“I think all of us are really excited about the opportunity in this four-day competition.

“We’ve got a great group of guys – we’ve got a nice mixed blend between the youth and the experienced guys. We are eyeing out the trophy and hopefully through our hard work we can bring it back home.”

The 23-year-old added that the upcoming match will provide an important opportunity for the younger players in the squad to showcase their skills, gain valuable experience, and make a mark on the team’s campaign.

“Obviously we’re missing our Proteas boys, so it’s given a lot of the younger guys opportunities to showcase their talent. So, I think guys are wanting to go there and put their hand up for the first game.”

The game is scheduled to start at 10:00 and will be broadcast live on the Cricket South Africa YouTube page

WSB Western Province Squad:

Beuran Hendricks, Josh Breed, Bongile Mfunelwa, Valentine Kitime, Mihlali Mpongwana, Jiveshen Pillay, Edward Moore, Daniel Smith, Joshua van Heerden, Oliver Whitehead, Kyle Simmonds, Tshepo Moreki, Dane Paterson.