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The CSA One Day Cup is the premier 50-over competition in South Africa. In this article I’m going to be taking a closer look at its history and that of the teams involved.
History of CSA One-Day Cup
The first edition of the CSA One Day Cup took place in South Africa’s 1981/82 season when it was referred to as the Benson and Hedges Series. Various sponsors have been involved since its inception, but it is formally known as the CSA One Day Cup.
This is a 50-over competition and the rules follow the regular format. There has been a lot of restructuring in over 40 years of play and the CSA One Day Cup has, at times, been expanded and subsequently reduced.
In 2020, just six franchise teams were involved in a slimline tournament. After that, Cricket South Africa decided to reorganise once again to include the familiar regional teams, along with developing sides within the country.
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Structure of the Competition
This is a recent introduction, starting from the 2021/22 season. The most recent tournaments prior to that change featured just six teams.
Divisions
The format that was incepted for the 2021/22 edition of the CSA One Day Cup featured eight teams in division one and seven in division two. The top tier tends to include the established sides and the ones who are more widely known outside of South Africa.
In division two, many of the developing teams from around the country are included.
There is a division one final and a division two final, but only the winners of division one will be considered as the CSA One Day Cup champions.
Points System
Teams will earn four points for a win. In the event of a tie or an abandonment for any reason, each of the two sides taking part will be awarded two points.
No points will be awarded for a defeat.
There is scope for bonus points. If the winning team finishes with a run rate that is at least 1.25 times more than their opponents, they will be awarded an extra point.
Most Successful Teams
Using statistics from the start of the CSA One Day Cup, up to and including the end of the 2021/22 edition, two teams have won the trophy on six occasions each.
Titans (6 times winners)
The Titans currently hold the joint record for most CSA One Day Cup wins. The team continues to play in the first division of the competition and they celebrated their first win at the end of the 2007/08 season.
The team made a successful defence of their trophy in the very next season, while further CSA One Day Cup titles came in 2013/14 when the trophy was shared with the Cape Cobras, together with solo wins in 2014/15 and 2016/17.
Titan’s most recent title success at the time of writing came in 2018/19.
Gauteng (6 times winners)
The other team to have won the CSA One Day Cup on six occasions are Gauteng. They previously competed as Transvaal and were winners of the first two editions in 1981/82 and 1982/83. Further trophies were claimed in 1984/85 and 1992/93.
The team name was changed to reflect the Gauteng Province in 1997 and their first title as Gauteng came at the end of the 1997/98 domestic season.
Gauteng had to wait six years for their next success in 2004 and that was their most recent trophy win in the CSA One Day Cup.
Conclusion
Like all domestic 50-Over competitions, the CSA One Day Cup can sometimes suffer because the best SA players are away on international duty. This is one of the most competitive nations in white ball cricket and we always want to see the top players involved.
Despite some notable absentees, this is a thrilling competition and, if you can access it from wherever you happen to be based, I’d recommend tuning in to watch. The action on the pitch is always competitive and you can watch up and coming players, along with those who are on the fringes of the South African national set up.
It’s also one of the oldest domestic competitions still in place and it will be fascinating to see the CSA One Day Cup develop under its new two-division system.
