Ruthless finisher starts South African season with exceptional century

The Ball in Play

Sep 21, 2026

Donovan Ferreira is back in South Africa, eager for the new season and daring to believe that he is the finisher the Proteas need for both next year’s ODI World Cup and T20 cricket. And yet it was in four-day, red-ball cricket where he first showed his class this season with an exceptional innings in the Northerns Titans’ opening match.

Ferreira has not been selected for the Proteas squad for the three ODIs against Australia starting on Thursday, but he knows competing with the likes of David Miller and Tristan Stubbs for the finisher role in the Proteas team is a tough challenge. He is full of belief, however, that he certainly belongs in that company. And the 28-year-old is pleased that his season started with a couple of four-day games for the Titans.

He made spectacular use of his first innings back in the country, scoring a magnificent 163 off just 180 balls as the Titans beat the KZN Dolphins by an innings at SuperSport Park. Ferreira came to the crease late on the first day after a powerful Titans attack had dismissed the Dolphins for just 157, but then the home side had been effectively reduced to 125 for five with one batsman retired hurt. He ensured he survived the dozen overs until stumps, but then produced a masterclass on the second day, batting through the entire morning session with Simon Harmer.

Ferreira batted within himself until he reached his century off 143 deliveries, but he is such a ruthless dispatcher of anything loose, whatever the length or line, that he was still scoring fluently against bowlers who were holding sway. He then exploded, lashing 63 runs off his next 37 balls. It was a career-best effort, his fourth first-class century lifting his first-class average to 49.59 after 15 matches.

“This is going to be a big season and I’m glad I’m going to be available for quite a few games for the Titans. The franchise means a lot to me, it’s my base and it’s a chance for me to reset and grow. It’s really nice to be part of the Titans because Albie Morkel [assistant coach] has helped me a lot with my batting, he knows my game well. And I’m pleased to start the season with red-ball cricket because it’s important to have that base for your batting,” Ferreira told kenborland.com.

“In terms of Proteas selection, I can only focus on what I can do. The higher powers have their job to do in terms of selection; my responsibility is to score as many runs as possible. That’s my focus. I will give everything and just try to contribute to the Titans team, share my knowledge and experience from playing T20 around the world.

“In terms of the domestic Pro20, I’m going to put a lot of focus on preparation and backing myself. My role as a finisher is an important one and it’s a diverse role because the situations you come into are not aways the same. I still believe I can contribute to the national team, if you don’t believe that then it becomes a lot harder. I definitely believe I can conquer that challenge,” Ferreira said.

Central to Ferreira’s belief is the fabulous IPL tournament he had earlier in the year. He was able to start 15 games this season for the Rajasthan Royals, having played only two matches for them in 2024 and just once for Delhi Capitals in 2025. His confidence grew and grew as he ended the campaign with 317 runs (75% in boundaries) in 13 innings, at a strike-rate of 179 and an average of 35.

Ferreira was a standout player as the Royals reached Qualifier 2, competing with lethal compatriot Heinrich Klaasen and Australian behemoth Tim David for the most sixes in the death overs (16-20). He has become one of the best in the world at hitting yorkers over the boundary and his fantastic numbers speak to a batsman who has matured, pacing his innings superbly thanks to the mental clarity he has developed.

“The IPL was big for me in terms of performance. I’d sat bench for three years and I was just trying to cement myself when I went back to Rajasthan. Fortunately for me, Sam Curran got injured and that opened a door for me. I had to take the opportunity and thankfully my game was in an improved space.

“Things happen for a reason and I believe it was an important stage of my career. My process now stays the same, I’m used to conditions in India and my spin play has improved. I used those three years to grow me and get ready for the highest level.

“You need stumbling blocks to keep growing and I’ve learnt a lot of lessons through all the ups and downs. Playing a lot of cricket gives you the opportunity to do well. If I stick to my processes, I believe I can really push the bar. I still need to fine-tune one or two things,” Ferreira said.

While the seasoned Miller and the exciting Stubbs currently have the inside lane in the squabble for the finishing role with the Proteas at next year’s 50-over World Cup, don’t underestimate Ferreira’s claims. He is a steely character with audacious skills when it comes to striking a cricket ball, and there was a grim determination in his eyes when he said:

“I missed out on the T20 World Cup earlier this year when I fractured my collarbone, so that was an opportunity taken away, but it was out of my control. For any player, being in a World Cup is the ultimate goal. But I need to keep my focus on the process, just give myself the best opportunity to score runs.

“And then it’s in the selectors’ hands. To play in and hopefully win the World Cup at home would be the absolute ultimate.”

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has been known to do some daring things, and perhaps Stubbs’s ability to bat in different positions and Ferreira’s added strings to his bow in being able to bowl off-spin or keep wicket will encourage the maverick to do something left-field like picking them both, as well as Miller …

South Africa’s Allan Donald and Herschelle Gibbs are both well-acquainted with the sorrow of World Cup failure, but the pair of cricketing legends believe that the current crop of Proteas who are in the West Indies will end the country’s startling lack of success in showpiece events when they compete in the T20 World Cup final at Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday.

The Proteas bowled Afghanistan out for a record low of just 56 on their way to a commanding nine-wicket victory in their semi-final on Wednesday night in Tarouba, Trinidad, and will meet the winners of Thursday’s semi-final between India and England in the final.

Despite being consistently one of the strongest teams in international cricket since returning from isolation in 1991, South Africa’s men’s team have never before reached a major International Cricket Council final. They had lost out in seven previous semi-finals before their triumph against Afghanistan.

Renowned fast bowler Donald and dashing opening batsman Gibbs both played in the 1999 World Cup semi-final against Australia at Edgbaston, which is probably South Africa’s most famous ‘defeat’ of all. The match ended in a tie after Donald was run out, having set off late and dropping his bat, meaning Australia went through based on their higher log-position.

The eventual champions had finished above South Africa thanks to beating them four days earlier by five wickets with two balls to spare in a Super Sixes match at Leeds. Chasing 272, Australia were in trouble on 48 for three when captain Steve Waugh came to the crease. He had just reached his half-century when Gibbs dropped an easy catch from him at midwicket, spilling the ball as he tried to throw it up in a premature celebration. Waugh would go on to score a magnificent 120 not out. Gibbs had earlier been the mainstay of the South African innings with his 101.

“I honestly believe this is South Africa’s time,” Donald told SportsBoom.com, “they are battle-hardened and mentally-conditioned now to winning the very big moments. They have found a way to win every time, someone has made a breakthrough or someone has come up with crucial runs eight matches in a row.

“Coach Rob Walter has brought top character through and made everyone responsible. I really think it is their time. They are playing with fantastic calmness and are really tight-knit as a squad,” Donald, who also fell short in the 1992, 96 and 2003 World Cups, said.

Gibbs told SportsBoom.com that he also believed the time was now to end South Africa’s World Cup jinx.

“T20 cricket is all about momentum and momentum is with the Proteas. They have done it the hard way and now that they’ve got to the final, I believe the cricketing gods will smile on us.

“Our bowling line-up is as good as any and with the pitches doing so much, the bowlers are always in play. Captain Aiden Markram’s decision-making has been really good, he’s made the changes, the big calls, at the right times. He shows a lot of composure in reading the situation. The final will be the ultimate game and playing the situation is the vital thing,” Gibbs, who was also part of the failed 2003 and 2007 campaigns, as well as the 2007, 2009 and 2010 T20 World Cup tournaments, said.

Gibbs, who was one of the most dashing batsmen of his era and would have earned himself millions of rand in franchise cricket had he been born 10 years later, also said that the tricky pitches in the current T20 World Cup had shown modern batters were not willing to grind through tough conditions.

“The pitches have done a lot, it’s been a bit excessive at times, but then average batsmen can look world-class on flat decks – they just hit through the line. The IPL scores were a bit ridiculous this year and the game needed to be brought down to earth a little.

“The tough conditions bring out the temperament of the batsmen and technique is needed. When bowlers have been able to land the ball in the right areas at the right pace, the batters have not been able to handle it because of their flawed techniques. They’re just used to taking the easy route, they don’t grind, they don’t fancy it. You need gritty innings in those conditions.

“At the IPL final for Deccan Chargers at the Wanderers in 2009, I scored 53 not out in the 20 overs because I knew I just had to be there. Anil Kumble bowled the first over for Bangalore and Adam Gilchrist charged down the pitch third ball and was bowled.

“But I said to myself that I must just have a look, the onus was on me, you have to take that responsibility on your shoulders. You have to allow yourself to get to grips with the surface and the tough runs are the most satisfying,” Gibbs said of the Deccan Chargers’ six-run win in South Africa.

The 50-year-old Gibbs said he expected the batsmen to have another mountain to climb at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, but the IPL experience of the likes of Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock, Tristan Stubbs, Markram and David Miller should stand them in good stead.

“In the CPL, that pitch has turned and there have been a lot of close games. Our spinners can come to the party with the ball, but for the batsmen, building partnerships against spin is going to be the key. It’s something they still haven’t mastered and they will need to do it.

“Heinrich Klaasen says the pressure of the IPL will stand them in good stead and they need to show that the pressure does not get to them because BMT has been our achilles heel in the past. But this team has found ways to win,” Gibbs said.

Donald, as coach, and Gibbs will return next week to Edgbaston, the scene of their agonising near-miss in 1999, representing South Africa in the World Championship of Legends, a new six-team T20 tournament that has signed a five-year contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Kwagga Smith has been branded as being too small to be a Springbok loose forward in the past, but his all-round game has won him 19 Test caps and on Saturday he will be coming off the bench and possibly tussling with the player Wales believe is the complete flank – Taine Basham.

The two dynamic loosies are of similar size, with Basham having a slight edge of three centimetres in height and four extra kilograms. The 22-year-old Dragons star has shown his ability to do it all – he is a robust tackler, who doesn’t miss many; he’s effective at hitting the rucks, slowing the ball down or being the ‘Jackal’; and he is a tenacious carrier of the ball too.

Smith, seven years his senior, has seen enough to single Basham out as the Welsh player who has most impressed him.

“I watched a lot of the URC and the Welsh are generally really good at fetching or making turnovers,” Smith said at the Springboks’ Fourways hotel on Wednesday.

“I rate Basham and Josh Navidi very highly and it’s going to be a big challenge at the breakdown.

“Form this year can be different to last year, but Basham is playing really well and he played well at the end of last year too. He’s a guy I recognise as someone to watch.

“But I’m really happy with my own form in Japan too. After our first three matches were cancelled due to Covid, I played the full 80 minutes in every game for Yamaha Jubilo. So that’s 12 matches and I was pleased for the month’s break before this series,” Smith said.

While Basham, who has 10 caps, is still a relative baby when it comes to international experience, Smith has accumulated a wealth of different experiences. He is a Rugby World Cup winner, with an Olympics bronze medal for Sevens, and has played in all three back-row positions. Smith has even played Currie Cup rugby on the wing.

Smith even feels comfortable enough helping the younger loose forwards in the squad to adapt to the pressures of Test rugby. On Saturday he will have debutant Elrigh Louw alongside him on the bench.

“I remember in 2018, when I made my debut, I know how nervous I was and how much pressure I put on myself. So I told Elrigh that Saturday will go really quickly, in the blink of an eye.

“I told him he must just try to express himself and do what he’s been doing for the Bulls. I’m very excited for him.

“I think Wales will come out and give everything they have because to beat the world’s number one team is the best way to restore your name, and they definitely want to put right what happened in the Six Nations.

“But it’s going to be huge for us as well this weekend, Loftus Versfeld will be packed, which will be a big advantage. We play for our supporters and we’re looking forward to delivering a good performance,” Smith said.

If you are used to some of the Bulls sides of old, you would not believe it but current coach Jake White has prioritised a counter-attacking fullback, which is why he has shifted wing Canan Moodie to No.15, in place of the injured Kurt-Lee Arendse, for their United Rugby Championship clash with Glasgow Warriors at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night.

Arendse, who has shown marvellous ball skills and the ability to regularly ghost past defenders on his way to seven tries in this season’s tournament, fractured his thumb last weekend against Benetton Treviso. White described it on Thursday as a relatively minor injury similar to the one that kept Stormers star Warrick Gelant out for a few weeks.

“Kurt-Lee got injured in the 60^th minute and then after the game he felt his hand was a bit sore after the adrenalin wore off. He came to training on Monday and the hand was a bit bruised,” White explained.

“The scans showed a little hairline fracture at the bottom of the thumb and he had a screw put in which should help the bone heal quicker, hopefully it gets him back on the field sooner.

“It’s an injury like Warrick had, with the associated ligament damage, which could take four-to-six weeks, but hopefully sooner because Kurt-Lee is very important to us.

“The way we attack requires a different kind of fullback to say a David Kriel, Kurt-Lee’s type of fullback has worked well for us. And the competition as a whole has shown that a fullback that can attack from the back works – for example Warrick,” White said.

The well-travelled World Cup winning coach likes the idea of backs who can play in several different positions, and the versatile James Verity-Amm comes in on the right wing to replace Moodie, while former Springbok wing Cornal Hendricks will continue his midfield partnership with Lionel Mapoe, with specialist inside centre Harold Vorster on the bench upon his return from a positive Covid test.

“Canan has run a few times at fullback in training and James can play both fullback and wing. It’s a good opportunity to see how Canan goes at fullback with mature and older wings around him in James and Madosh Tambwe,” White said.

“In the 2003 World Cup, Australia played Latham, Roff, Rogers, Larkham and Burke, who were all fullbacks. If you’re good enough, you should be able to play anywhere.

“It’s just about balancing the combinations, and the number on your back is not important in multi-phase attack. Jonah Lomu played eighthman at school and was one of the greatest wings ever.

“Tiaan Strauss and Morne du Plessis both played fullback and centre before moving into the pack; Danie Craven played in a handful of positions for South Africa. So it’s nothing new.

“It’s the way the game is going now, the more versatile you are the better. To use a chess analogy, having more Queens would be better that having just Pawns that can only play in certain ways,” White said.

Bulls team:Canan Moodie, James Verity-Amm, Lionel Mapoe, Cornal Hendricks, Madosh Tambwe, Morne Steyn, Zak Burger; Elrigh Louw, Arno Botha, Marcell Coetzee (CAPT), Ruan Nortje, Walt Steenkamp, Mornay Smith, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp. IMPACT-Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Simphiwe Matanzima, Dylan Smith, Janko Swanepoel, Cyle Brink, Embrose Papier, Chris Smith, Harold Vorster.