Good start for Proteas players on first day of new domestic season with wickets for quicks and runs for Bavuma

Marco Jansen came up short in trying to match twin brother Duan’s first-class five-wicket haul for the Titans, on an otherwise enjoyable opening day of the domestic season at SuperSport Park.

Marco was among a host of Proteas, featuring for their provinces at the start of the First Class Series, and finished with 3/39 as part of a dominant display against the Dolphins on Thursday who were bowled out for 157.

Competition between the Jansen twins stretches from eating to hunting and naturally cricket and it was in that spirit that Titans coach Rivash Gobind challenged the Proteas new ball bowler ahead of the 2026/27 season.

“I told him, ‘your brother’s got a five-for for the Titans and you need to catch up’,” said Gobind.

Having seen his brother perform so well in his first series for the Proteas in Namibia, Marco would have taken Gobind’s challenge seriously and certainly his first three overs on Thursday were hostile.

Josh Richards and Grant Roelofsen, who both signed for the KwaZulu-Natal union in the winter from the Lions and Boland respectively, were hopping about, as Jansen, bowling second change from the Hennops River End, found early rhythm.

Before he’d entered into the attack, Lungi Ngidi bowled a solid four-over spell in which he was unlucky not to pick up a wicket.

However, the pressure he created provided an opportunity for one of the Titans’ new signings, Beyers Swanepoel, to make the initial breakthrough, with the dismissal of Selam Pillay in the sixth over.

Swanepoel remains under a cloud somewhat as Cricket SA drags its feet over disciplining him five months after he was charged by the organisation with a Level 4 breach of their disciplinary code for leaving the final of last season’s One-Day Cup, before the match was finished.

The 28-year-old finished with 3/31, in what was a pleasing debut for his new team and offered another demonstration of why he’s long been seen as one the best domestic players and been the subject of whispers regarding national call-ups.

The other two Proteas players in a Titans line-up featuring six front-line bowling options, Ngidi and Simon Harmer, weren’t as impactful.

After that good first spell, there was evidence of rust with Ngidi when he returned after lunch, as control of lines and lengths were missing.

In a brief spell from the Hennops River End, Ngidi trapped his national teammate Keshav Maharaj lbw and overall will be pleased with his first performance in the red-ball format since the World Test Championship final. He bowled eight overs and took 1/28.

Harmer only bowled two overs but produced the fielding highlight of the day with a one-handed grab to his right at second slip to dismiss Khaya Zondo.

There were signs of rustiness from Jansen too, despite his three wickets, but like Ngidi he will benefit from this outing.

The Proteas’ coach, Shukri Conrad, wants the national players to get match-time ahead of the ODI series with Australia that starts in two weeks.

At the Wanderers, Proteas Test captain Temba Bavuma made 91 to help the Lions gain the ascendancy against Boland.

Bavuma struck 14 boundaries, sharing a partnership of 102 with Mitchell van Buuren, who scored an elegant 52. Ryan Rickelton, scored 49.

Wiaan Mulder was a late withdrawal from the Lions starting XI, due to family reasons.