South Africa set for domestic season

South African cricket has experienced its longest winter break in 14 years, with the national squad out of action for almost seven months. Some players have played in the IPL, in county and club cricket in England and in the ongoing Champions League Twenty20.

While little has happened on the field, there have been changes in the national setup. In June, a new coaching staff was appointed in Gary Kirsten, Allan Donald and Russell Domingo; a new limited-overs captain and vice-captain, in AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla respectively, were named; and members of the old guard, like Vincent Barnes and Corrie van Zyl, were roped in to strengthen the development structures.

A few tweaks have also been made to the domestic tournaments as South Africa tries to fall further in line with the international game. The most significant move is that the one-day competition will feature 50-over games instead of 40-over matches to mirror ODI cricket.

South Africa's 11 provinces, who previously played in the amateur competition, but whose matches were still regarded as first-class, will now play in a semi-professional league. They will contest the usual three-day and one-day fixtures as well as feature in a new Twenty20 competition. The best players from that tournament will be selected to form a seventh franchise that will feature in the country's premier domestic Twenty20 competition, which will be played in February.

With the ongoing bonus scandal's shadow starting to cast itself over the game, Cricket South Africa has not yet got sponsors for the 50-over, 20-over and semi-professional competitions. The corporate world has distanced itself from South African cricket with only Castle Lager staying on board as Test and ODI team sponsor and SuperSport continuing to back the first-class competition in accordance with their television rights deal.

The SuperSport series starts on Thursday, ensuring that a sense of familiarity prevails as the season begins. Like many first-class competitions around the world, this tournament often takes place unnoticed by cricket fans. Stadiums take on a village-like atmosphere, with the number of spectators countable on two hands and free entrance for all. It is on this low-key playground that future international stars are bred, and although the competition is allowed to meander along with little care from either administrators or spectators, it remains the most important aspect of domestic cricket in South Africa.

The first round this year will feature only two fixtures since the Cobras and the Warriors are contesting the Champions League in India. Both fixtures take place inland with the Lions hosting the Dolphins in Johannesburg and the Knights visiting the Titans in Centurion.

Lions

Captain: Alviro Peterson

Coach: Dave Nosworthy

How they fared last season: A decent showing saw them finish third but they were only able to win two of the ten matches they played. The Lions shared the record for most number of draws, with seven. They scored over 400 in an innings four times and bowled the opposition out for under 200 twice. Neil McKenzie was their highest run-scorer with 771 runs, while spinner Dale Deeb was best among the bowlers with 21 scalps.

Players to watch: The Lions have a clutch of low-profile players but pride themselves on the consistency they can provide in their line-up with few of their lot leaving for national duty. Stalwarts Neil McKenzie and Zander de Bruyn lead the team. This season sees the introduction of two players who impressed at Under-19 level, wicketkeeper batsman Quinton de Kock and batsman Dominic Hendricks, and can also be used as an opportunity for the likes of Shane Burger, Jean Symes and Jonathan Vandiar, who have been in the system for years, to cement their spots. The Lions find themselves a little short in the seam bowling department, with Craig Alexander and Ethan O'Reilly the core of the attack. Pumelela Matshikwe is an emerging talent and Cliffie Deacon may have to provide some experience. They have lost Paul Harris in the spin department but Deeb and Aaron Phangiso ensure that they have that area covered.

Titans

Captain: Martin van Jaarsveld

Coach: Matthew Maynard

How they fared last season: Their wins and losses were equal, with three apiece and the four draws they featured in saw them place second, 10.54 points behind the competition winners, the Cobras. A notable feature of their performances was that the results were often comprehensive and they drew only when weather intervened. Jacques Rudolph topped the run charts, overall, with 954 runs while Ethy Mbhalati's 39 wickets saw him end as their most successful bowler.

Players to watch: Rudolph has stepped down as captain, with suspicion mounting that he is line for a national recall. Martin van Jaarsveld, a veteran of the franchise, returns in the leadership role. Wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn will be closely monitored by the national selectors, especially as it appears that they will turn to him to succeed Mark Boucher behind the stumps. Bowler Cornelius de Villiers, who they acquired from the Knights two seasons ago, slipped under the radar last season but may make an impact in this one and hard-hitter Farhaan Behardien may be pushing for higher honours. Paul Harris also has an interesting season ahead of him as he looks to prove he still belongs at the international level.

Knights

Captain: Morne van Wyk

Coach: Sarel Cilliers

How they fared last season: A forgettable campaign saw them end fifth in the table, with only a solitary victory, two defeats and six draws. One of their main problems was the inability to take 20 wickets in a match, something they only managed once in ten matches. They scored over 400 runs in an innings four times, but were often guilty of batting too slowly to force a result. Their leading run-getter, Obus Pienaar, was 10th on the overall list with 593 runs, and Ryan McLaren and Dillon du Preez were joint-top of their wicket-charts with 22 scalps.

Players to watch: The Free State side is another low-key outfit, including many players who are not afraid of the hard grind. Rilee Rossouw, Dean Elgar and Reeza Hendricks are the standout batting trio and have been involved in meaty partnerships in the past. They are on the selectors' radar and if more runs flow from their bats, could find themselves in the squad for matches against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Ryan McLaren falls into a similar category, having fallen out of favour but still possessing the all-round skills that South Africa treasure. Victor Mpitsang, at 31-years-old, may be entering the twilight of his career but brings invaluable experience to the bowling, which also contains Charl Pietersen and allrounder Johan van der Wath. Spinner Thandi Tshabalala has not been re-contracted but Malusi Siboto has been recruited from North West to fill that slot.

Dolphins

Captain: Imraan Khan

Coach: Graham Ford

How they fared last season: With just over 10 points separating them from the Lions, the Dolphins ended fourth in the table with two wins, four draws and four losses. The season swung from the highs of scoring 500 for 5 declared against the Warriors to being bowled out for 99 by the Cobras. Imraan Khan, who played in one Test for South Africa, was the leading run-getter with 594 runs and Imran Tahir, who only played in five of their ten matches before getting a national call-up, topped the overall wicket-taking charts with 42 wickets.

Players to watch: The spotlight will be on the Dolphins in the Twenty20 competition, for which they have contracted Australia's Shaun Tait and West Indies' Chris Gayle. In the longer form of the game, old favourites like Ahmed Amla and Imraan Khan will add sagely structure to the batting. They have acquired Friedel de Wet, who played two Tests for South Africa against England and has battled a series of back injuries, and Robert Frylinck from the Lions and have young talent in Saidi Mlongo and Mthokozisi Shezi who need to be looked after. Vaughn van Jaarsveld, who attended the national training camp in August, will be looking for consistency as will wicketkeeper Daryn Smit and batsman David Miller.

Warriors

Captain: Davy Jacobs

Coach: Piet Botha

How they fared last season: After a thrilling Champions League campaign in 2010, the Warriors began their domestic season with a bit of a hangover. As a result, they finished last, with a single win and four defeats. They had no batsmen in the top 10 with JJ Smuts coming in at 12, with 513 runs, while Andrew Birch's 34 wickets saw him finish as fifth-highest wicket-taker overall.

Players to watch: As the franchise that has produced the most number of national players in recent times, the Warriors are bursting with talent. The Smuts brothers - Jon-Jon and Kelly - have the right brand of aggression and solidity of technique to pique the interest of national selectors, as does the bustling bowling of Basheeru-Deen Walters and Lyall Meyer. This franchise is also the home of players who are right on the verge of cementing national places like Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron and Colin Ingram and the trio will know that a series of good performances at franchise level will go a long way to securing more permanent spots at national level. With the risk of losing players to the South Africa team always looming and the issue of continuity rearing its head, it will be up to the old hands, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Arno Jacobs and Justin Kreusch to provide experience and leadership.

Cobras

Captain: Justin Kemp

Coach: Richard Pybus

How they fared last season: With five victories from ten matches, four draws and not one defeat, the Cobras were the champions of last year's first-class competition. They went through the tournament without being bowled out twice in any match and scored more than 400 runs six times. Andrew Puttick scored 678 runs to lead their run-scoring charts and Claude Henderson took 38 wickets, to end third on the overall bowling rankings.

Players to watch: The Cobras are another team that often lose players to the national side, but are fortunate enough to have a steady supply of talented hopefuls waiting in the wings. Batsman Stiaan van Zyl and bowler Vernon Philander have had success in the recent past and both are in line for national call ups. They have retained a core of senior players, such as Justin Ontong, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Johann Louw and Puttick, who form the glue that holds the youngsters together. Richard Levi, Dane Vilas and Francois Plaatjies are the players in the next tier that are worth keeping an eye on. The Cobras also welcome back Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher from the Warriors, although the two are unlikely to make too many appearances for the franchise.

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