Big season for vibrant Lions

After winning the T20 Challenge and sharing the 4 Day Series title last season, DP World Lions begin their 2025/26 season with an away trip to Cape Town to face WSB Western Province.

Lions were a dominant force in red ball cricket last season finishing at the top of the log before they shared the 4 Day Series title with the Momentum Multiply Titans.

After missing the first round last week, Lions get their campaign underway on Thursday with an eye on a fast start despite some changes to their personnel.

"There have been some changes in our squad because a few of our players that were with us last season have moved up into the Proteas set-up," Lions 4 Day captain Dominic Hendricks said.

"Guys will be going with the Proteas to Pakistan as well as Namibia so we will have some changes in our team, but the core of the squad will remain the same.

“Zubayr (Hamza) and Bjorn (Fortuin) are players that played a big part in our season that will be with the Proteas on their tours so we will be giving squad players opportunities.

"Week on week there will be a couple changes but the squad that we have go together are really excited to get the season going after a busy pre-season."

Coming off a season where they were dominant in the 4 Day Series, Hendricks is hopeful that his team can put in a strong all-round performance throughout the competition and go one better than a shared trophy this season.

"The team is really excited for the 4-Day campaign, and we know that this is the trophy that everyone wants to win and the most difficult one to win because you have to play good cricket over such a long period of time.

"It's seven games, or 28 days of good cricket that have to be played and then a five day final on top of that so it's always high on our list to win this competition.

"Unfortunately, last season we had to share it because we lost a day to conditions so we would love to win it outright this season."

It's important to understand the strengths of a side both on and off the pitch and Hendricks believes that they will play to their strengths.

"Our diversity sets us apart and we have got a lot of different players, and a few guys will be stepping up to the plate and getting opportunities.

"Our batting has stayed consistent over the last few seasons, and we haven't lost too many players to the national team on that front which is a positive for us.

"From a bowling perspective, we have our bases covered nicely and with the addition of Beyers Swanepoel he bowls well in this format and can bat down the order.

"Cody (Yusuf) has shone in the past few seasons with the ball which is another positive for us going into the competition," Hendricks mentioned.

The Lions produced three wins from their seven matches in the Series last season, which was more than any other side.

The goal for all domestic teams is to get players into the Proteas set-up and the Lions will be proud of the efforts of their players. With higher honours being a big part of their success, this season there will be many opportunities for other players to shine.