Western Province embrace chilly Cape Town winter to set pre-season in full swing

THE Western Province Men’s team has embraced the chilly Cape Town winter as pre-season preparations are in full swing.

Having gone through the season without the trophy, where the Boys in Blue finished fifth in the Four-Day competition, eighth in the One Day Cup and fourth in the T20 Challenge, the Cape Town-based unit has had an early start to their pre-season preparations.

With many of their star players, including Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham and Tony de Zorzi playing various formats for the Proteas, Province have added left-handed opening batter Jiveshan Pillay into their squad from the Warriors and right-handed opening batter Joshua van Heerden from the Titans.

On the bowling front, the squad has been boosted by the pace and experience of fast bowler Tshepo Moreki.

Pillay is already with the squad in their pre-season training, while Moreki and Mihlali Mpongwana are expected to join the pre-season preparations this week, having just returned from the Caribbean with the South Africa 'A' squad.

Van Heerden is expected to join the squad at the beginning of August.

Perhaps the most important addition at Newlands this season is the newly appointed coach, Rory Kleinveldt. Kleinveldt makes his return to Newlands following a successful tenure in the UK, where he served as Lead Bowling Coach for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.

The 42-year-old’s appointment follows the departure of former head coach, Salieg Nackerdien, who concluded his tenure at the end of the 2024/25 season.

The Boys in Blue got their winter programme underway with a challenging hike up the demanding Constantia Nek trail under the supervision of Strength and Conditioning coach Dieter Swanepoel.

“We are four weeks into our pre-season program thus far, and I’m very happy with the progress that the guys have made,” said Swanepoel.

“We started our winter training off with a couple of hikes up Constantia Nek and Table Mountain, balancing the training objectives with a bit of team cohesion and good banter. The players also underwent their baseline fitness profiling before commencing with the formal strength and conditioning program.

“The wet weather hasn’t been ideal for our cardiovascular sessions, but it just meant more time indoors on the machines. Every winter it is pretty much the same weather, wet and cold, so it’s just a matter of being adaptable and at times creative.

“The guys’ attitudes and energies have been awesome thus far. There has been a good focus and determination from the guys on how they are going about their business, which is exciting.” Swanepoel concluded.

WSB Western Province Men 2025/26 squad
Beuran Hendricks, Bongile Mfunelwa, Dane Paterson, Daniel Smith, Eddie Moore, George Linde, Jiveshan Pillay, Jono Bird, Joshua van Heerden, Juan James, Kyle Simmonds, Mihlali Mpongwana, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Oliver Whitehead, Raeeq Daniels, Tshepo Moreki, Valentine Kitime.

National Contracts: David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi.