The Division 1 4-Day Series resumes this week after a near three-month break for the limited-overs leg of the season with the competition still having everything to play for in the remaining three rounds.
The DP World Lions have been the stand-out side after winning three out of their four matches for a total of 83.96 points, though their old rivals, Momentum Multiply Titans (71.24) are leading the chasing pack.
The Johannesburg side have a tough game back when they travel to Goldrush Boland (62.42) in fourth place. The men from Paarl enjoyed a productive 50-over season where they reached the final which they lost on Sunday.
However, they can take plenty of confidence from their 1 Day Cup campaign into the first first-class match of the year against a Lions side that won just twice in seven in the same competition.
A win at Boland Park will be what the home side will be hoping for, and so too the chasing pack, who will all be aiming to rein in the leaders.
The Titans, meanwhile, face another of their traditional rivals in their round four encounter when they come up against World Sports Betting Western Province at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
While the hosts still have an eye on the title, their visitors are third bottom with 50.54 points and are embroiled in an impending relegation battle alongside bottom side the Dafabet Warriors (37.64), who have played a game more, and Renault North West Dragons (50.42).
The Hollywoodbets Dolphins, crowned 1 Day Cup champions at the weekend, also cannot count themselves as completely safe from that scrap – the Durban side have 58.16 points ahead of their key home encounter with the Dragons.
The Warriors are up against the Knights (64.94) in the round’s other match-up as the 2024/25 season builds towards a thrilling climax.
There are also plenty of personal tussles to look out for with bat and ball. Lesego Senokwane of the Knights leads the batting run charts with 553 runs at an average of almost 70, with the Warriors’ Jordan Hermann (507 runs at 50.70) not far behind him.
The battle for the top wicket-taker is currently between three spinners - Province’s slow left-armer Kyle Simmonds (25 wickets 17.28), Prenelan Subrayen (25 wickets at 19.20) of the Dolphins and Boland’s Shaun von Berg (24 wickets at 18.08).