The Hollywoodbets Dolphins begin their 2025/26 season this week with a trip to the Cape Winelands to take on a formidable Goldrush Boland side in the 4 Day Series starting on Thursday.
2025/26 SEASON IS HERE 🤩💥
— Dolphins Cricket (@DolphinsCricket) September 29, 2025
Our Hollywoodbets Dolphins heroes start their 2025/26 season this week as they take on Goldrush Boland in a 4-Day Series match starting on Thursday in Boland.
The Team enjoyed a special moment today receiving their shirts along with an intriguing… pic.twitter.com/f09tInUGuy
Boland registered a win in their first match of the competition last week against the Momentum Multiply Titans and are a difficult side to play in their home conditions.
In saying this, the Dolphins go into the season with a lot of off-season cricket under their belts with many players involved in the various SA A, SA Emerging and National Academy tours and series that took place over the winter.
Ahead of another exciting season with the Dolphins and at the wheel of the ship, Marques Ackerman believes that his side are as prepared as they could be for the new season to get underway.
“We are in a fortunate position where a lot of guys were away and getting in match practice in different tours and tournaments around the world,” Ackerman said.
“A big group of our guys have played a lot of cricket going into the first game of the season which is a positive thing for us.
“The boys that have been at home have had some pre-season warm-up matches and a T10 competition which has given them a chance to prepare nicely for this week.”
Ackerman, Jason Smith, Okuhle Cele and Tristan Luus all represented the SA ‘A’ side during their recent tour of the West Indies and their home series against New Zealand ‘A’.
Despite having missed the first week of the 4 Day Series last week, Ackerman doesn’t see an issue with missing that first round of fixtures and playing a side who has a game under their belt.
“If anything, we’ll be going into this one with fresher legs and a bit more excited to get the season going.
“We’re not looking much into what Boland have done in their first game but rather focusing on what’s required from us going into this match.”
Last week’s first round match at Boland Park produced a good win for the home side with a lot of runs and some good bowling performances. Ackerman says he can’t glean too much from that and will wait and see what the pitch and conditions are like when they arrive.
“We are not too sure now what we are going to get. As far as we know it could be a used wicket which will change the ball game.
“So, we are just going to get there, assess the conditions and take it from there,” Ackerman added.
The Dolphins have made very few additions to their squad for the new season and have also kept most of their side from last season. It’s an exciting time at the Dolphins because of the opportunities that players will get to stake a claim in the playing eleven.
“We’re a good group of guys and we’ve got a good mix of youth and experience in the side which is important.
“We lose Prenelan (Subrayen) to the Proteas which is amazing for him and that is why we all play the game, but his absence gives someone else an opportunity to stand up and make a mark on this team.”
The Dolphins ended last season’s 4 Day Series in third place behind the Titans and the DP World Lions and were close to securing a spot in the final.
It has been a lean few seasons for the Durban-based side who haven’t qualified for the final of the red ball competition since they were victorious in the 2022/23 season.