For the first time since their rebranding three seasons ago, the Eastern Cape Iinyathi will begin their season with red-ball cricket in early October.
Over the past few years, the Buffaloes have started with either the Twenty20 or 50-over formats, with the four-dayers coming between those tournaments.
This means they will have changed their preparation blueprint for the season.
CSA released the fixtures this week and the Iinyathi will kick off with home-ground advantage at the Buffalo Park Stadium against Northern Cape Heat, who were finalists in last season’s competition.
That match will be played from October 9-12, after which they travel to Benoni to face the Eastern Storm the next week.
In December, Iinyathi will have away games against the Limpopo Impalas and Garden Route Badgers before they welcome the Knights and Mpumalanga Rhinos in January to round off their programme.
Head coach Tumelo Bodibe has said they are targeting winning the red-ball title after the disappointment of last season.
Iinyathi narrowly missed out on the final by a whisker to KZN Inland and Heat.
In preparation for the campaign, Iinyathi have had inter-squad games at Buffalo Park and they are now in Gauteng for a preseason tournament against some of the Division 2 teams.
Several new signings, including Kgaudi Molefe, Hardus Coetzer, Michael Copeland and Thando Ntini, are with the team in Gauteng, together with some members who recently returned from playing overseas.
In the T20 competition, Iinyathi will kick off against the Mpumalanga Rhinos at Buffalo Park.
In the 2024 T20 campaign they were beaten in all their matches.
That campaign is one that Bodibe said still haunted him.
Balance in the bowling and top-order across the formats, he said, was going to be key if they were to get those punches in and break the ceiling to reach the First Division.
The defence of their one-day title will start in February against the Emerging SA team in East London.
The Buffaloes were crowned co-champions of the One-Day Cup last season for their first silverware.
The final against Tuskers at the Pietermaritzburg Oval was called off due to a wet outfield on the reserve day, meaning the teams shared the title.
There is no doubt Bodibe will want his team to be the sole champions this season.
Daily Dispatch
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