Johannesburg, 8 September 2026
Our DP World Lions head into a new season on Thursday, eager to improve on a 2025/26 campaign that, even though it earned #ThePrideOfJozi more silverware, was a “bit disappointing” due to the top-class standards that the team is always striving to reach, according to senior batsman Mitchell van Buuren.
The DP World Lions completed a hat-trick of four-day titles last season, becoming the first team to do it since 1984/85, when they themselves claimed three Currie Cup crowns in a row in their former guise as the Transvaal ‘Mean Machine’. Finishing top of the log in two of the three professional competitions is a mammoth accomplishment and certainly cause for celebration.
However, Van Buuren says that they want to do better; “We weren’t satisfied with last season because our goal is always to play to our standards, which we try to keep as high as possible. At the end of the day, it’s all about how many trophies we win. We didn’t get all three, so that was a bit disappointing but the bottom line is that we didn’t really play well and there are no excuses.”
Van Buuren only batted five times for our DP World Lions in last season’s triumphant campaign, scoring one century, but he is coming into this season with a spring in his step thanks to some sparkling recent form for the SA Emerging team which he captained. With knocks of 73; 171 and 86, he was deservedly named Player of the Series.
The 28-year-old is also delighted that this season’s renamed 1st-Class Series has been expanded so each team will play 10 round-robin matches.
“I’m taking a lot of confidence into this next season and I love it that four-day cricket has been increased. For many years we’ve wanted more and now there will be 10 four-day matches, which is great for our careers and also for providing more opportunities.
“As a player, I’m over the moon and I can’t wait to get out in the middle. First-class cricket is what makes your game better for all formats, especially at the start of the season. You spend time at the crease and that flows over naturally into white-ball cricket. The new structure is much better, we could get 20 cracks at batting, which is what we’ve been begging for,” Van Buuren says.
While three successive titles suggest our DP World Lions have mastered the art of four-day cricket, Van Buuren says there is still room for improvement. Coaching guru Russell Domingo has similar selection conundrums to Springbok rugby coach Rassie Erasmus in that he needs to create depth while still ensuring there is no deterioration in standards.
An area we can improve is keeping consistency in our standards,” Van Buuren says. “Consistency is a word that’s thrown around a lot, but if you have it then you know you’re successful. We want to stay consistent for longer.
“But there are a lot of guys coming in and out of the team, which creates amazing opportunities for those on the fringes. But the challenge is that everyone coming in has to stick to the same high standards. Those high standards come from the top, from the CEO [Jono Leaf-Wright] all the way down.
“But it can be challenging to have a settled style of play and culture when you have to use so many players. Russell has kept pretty much the same squad over the last three seasons, which shows consistency and faith in the group, but we’re going to need more players this season,” Van Buuren says.
Batting star Quinton de Kock and fast bowler Gerald Coetzee pack even more punch into the Pride this season.
“It’s great to have Gerald, he’s one of the quickest bowlers in the country and never nice to play against. Quinton is also always great to have on your team even if we don’t know how much he’ll be able to play. He’s just part of the Union, even though he’s spent time away, he’s a KES boy and has the Lions at heart. It’s cool that he’s back,” Van Buuren says.
Our DP World Lions start their season rolling on Thursday with a four-day game against Boland in Johannesburg. The 2026/27 domestic cricket season has undergone a competition restructure designed to create more opportunities and excitement across the domestic game, with the Division 1 teams set to play at least three additional red-ball matches, thus providing players with greater opportunities to develop their skills in the longer format.