Although round three only starts on Tuesday, the Potchefstroom-based side has started the season in fine form, with back-to-back home victories. Their eight-wicket win over the Tuskers, followed by a 196-run triumph against the Titans at the JB Marks Oval, has seen the Dragons top the standings. It’s still early days in the competition, but the team is thrilled - the four-day format at home has often been their Achilles’ heel.

Ruan de Swardt - Morgan Piek

Western Province, on the other hand, finds themselves under pressure after a 48-run defeat to the Warriors at St George’s Park and a heavy innings-and-134-run loss to defending champions the Lions at Newlands.

The Dragons have set the tone for their season early, and it’s important for them to capitalise on this momentum, especially as the four-day series will soon take a break for the start of the white-ball competitions.

The new Dragons all-rounder Dian Forrester, who has already scored 160 runs and taken seven wickets, told OFM Sport that the back-to-back home wins have laid a solid foundation for their campaign.

“We’re really happy with the back-to-back wins in Potch - both games were absolutely fantastic,” said Forrester.

“I think it just shows what this team is about: the talent, the characters, and the culture of buying in.

“It doesn’t matter what the coaches ask of us - everyone buys in. It’s been amazing to get these wins in Potch and, especially, to start changing the narrative of how four-day games are played here.

“So yes, we’re very, very happy with these two wins and being at the top of the log. The team is confident going into the game against Western Province. Everyone is in a good space, training hard, and we’re not too focused on their side. They’ve had back-to-back losses, so we’re concentrating on our game plans, processes, and preparation.”

Captain Wihan Lubbe - Morgan Piek

Forrester, who joined the Dragons from the Knights during the off-season, added that the team - which he considers very special - is in a good space and needs only to keep producing results.

“I think this is a very special group, and if we focus on what we need to do, the results will take care of themselves.

“Cape Town will be a nice test for us, our first road trip of the season, and hopefully we can get a win there and put ourselves in a very strong position for the rest of the four-day competition.”

Tuesday’s match at Newlands, in the shadow of Table Mountain, is set to start at 10:00. At the same time, the Dolphins will host the Tuskers at Kingsmead in Durban in a KZN derby. Meanwhile, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, the Warriors face Boland, and at SuperSport Park, the Titans will take on the Lions in the Jukskei derby.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport