After winning the CSA T20 Challenge, reaching the four-day final and progressing to the playoffs of the 50-over tournament last season, the Dafabet Warriors have already established themselves as one of the more consistent domestic teams across formats.
Now captain Matthew de Villiers wants that foundation to be used as a springboard rather than a comfort zone when they face North West Dragons in the CSA Pro20 Cup opener at SuperSport Park in Centurion at 2pm on Friday.
“We won the trophy, but there were still a lot of improvements we could have made as a union and as a team,” De Villiers said at the launch of the Pro20 Cup.
That message is particularly relevant after a disrupted start to the new campaign, with the Warriors’ opening four-day fixture against Western Province affected by weather before their next red-ball match against the Titans at the NMU Absa Oval was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of the conditions.
The formats may now be different, but the Gqeberha side will hope the standards, confidence and consistency built through their performances last season carry into their T20 campaign.
De Villiers, however, is not looking backwards, with new players and new combinations adding another layer to their title defence, and the captain believes building a strong squad culture will be just as important as what happens on the field.
“We are a group with some new faces now, so it’s just about trying to connect with the guys and making sure everyone feels at home, especially in a tournament like this with lots of travelling and more games,” he said.
That becomes even more significant if the Warriors progress to the Super Eight stage, where the demands on the squad will increase and depth could become decisive.
“If we make the Super Eight, we’re going to need to have a real squad unity,” De Villiers said.
The emphasis is therefore on keeping the entire group involved, rather than allowing the competition for places to divide the squad.
“Whether the guys are playing or not, just try to stay as tight as possible as a group.”
It is a philosophy that will be tested immediately against a Dragons side De Villiers expects to provide a typically competitive opening challenge.
“It is very important, starting on Friday against the Dragons team who are always fighters,” he said.
“So it’s important that we start well.”
The Warriors do not need reminding what a successful campaign looks like. They have already experienced the satisfaction of lifting one trophy while coming close in the other two competitions.
The challenge now is to turn a successful all-format foundation into another T20 campaign built on improvement, unity and freedom, with Friday providing the first opportunity to put that blueprint into action.
“Whether we win or lose, as long as we stick together as a team and we play with freedom,” De Villiers said.
“I’m sure that the tournament will be fun and exciting and hopefully the outcome will be what we want it to be.”
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