SuperSport Series

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The SuperSport Series is the main domestic first class cricket competition in South Africa, first contested (as the Currie Cup) in 1889-90. From 1990-91 it became known as the Castle Cup, and from 1996-97 by its current title. The Gauteng Lions (formerly Transvaal) have won the title the most times (25, plus four shared titles).

Cricket in South Africa was established by the British, and the first tour by a side from England took place in 1888-89. The following summer a domestic competition, the Currie Cup, named after Sir Donald Currie, who donated the trophy, began with two sides - Kimberley and Transvaal - playing against each other. The competition quickly expanded, and really reached its peak during the years of isolation in the 1970s and 1980s when the standards were exceptionally high.

After the end of the apartheid era, the domestic game suffered and in 2004-05 the competition underwent a major overhaul and was rebranded with the introduction of six franchises. This top tier is underpinned by second-tier tournaments for the old provincial teams that are now known as the South African Airways Provincial Challenges.

In October 2007, it was announced that Zimbabwe would take part in a single round of the 2007/8 Supersport Series to aid its development and improvement. They will not score points from these matches, but teams playing against them will. This plan was later dropped.

[edit] Current teams

[edit] Competition winners

Currie Cup

1889-90 Transvaal
1890-91 Kimberley (later Griqualand West)
1892-93 Western Province
1893-94 Western Province
1894-95 Transvaal
1896-97 Western Province
1897-98 Western Province
1902-03 Transvaal
1903-04 Transvaal
1904-05 Transvaal
1906-07 Transvaal
1908-09 Western Province
1910-11 Natal
1912-13 Natal
1920-21 Western Province
1921-22 Transvaal/Natal/W. Prov. (Shared)
1923-24 Transvaal
1925-26 Transvaal
1926-27 Transvaal
1929-30 Transvaal
1931-32 Western Province
1933-34 Natal
1934-35 Transvaal
1936-37 Natal
1937-38 Natal/Transvaal (Shared)
1946-47 Natal
1947-48 Natal
1950-51 Transvaal
1951-52 Natal
1952-53 Western Province
1954-55 Natal
1955-56 Western Province
1958-59 Transvaal
1959-60 Natal
1960-61 Natal
1962-63 Natal
1963-64 Natal
1965-66 Natal/Transvaal (Shared)
1966-67 Natal
1967-68 Natal
1968-69 Transvaal
1969-70 Transvaal/W. Province (Shared)
1970-71 Transvaal
1971-72 Transvaal
1972-73 Transvaal
1973-74 Natal
1974-75 Western Province
1975-76 Natal
1976-77 Natal
1977-78 Western Province
1978-79 Transvaal
1979-80 Transvaal
1980-81 Natal
1981-82 Western Province
1982-83 Transvaal
1983-84 Transvaal
1984-85 Transvaal
1985-86 Western Province
1986-87 Transvaal
1987-88 Transvaal
1988-89 Eastern Province
1989-90 E. Province/W. Province (Shared)

Castle Cup

1990-91 Western Province
1991-92 Eastern Province
1992-93 Orange Free State
1993-94 Orange Free State
1994-95 Natal
1995-96 Western Province

SuperSport Series

1996-97 Natal
1997-98 Free State
1998-99 Western Province
1999-00 Gauteng
2000-01 Western Province
2001-02 KwaZulu-Natal
2002-03 Easterns
2003-04 Western Province
2004-05 Eagles (Free State)/Dolphins (KwaZulu-Natal), shared
2005-06 Nashua Dolphins & Nashua Titans, shared
2006-07 Nashua Titans
2007-08 Gestetner Diamond Eagles

Outright wins (shared in brackets)

Gauteng 25 (4)
KwaZulu-Natal 21 (4)
Western Province 18 (3)
Free State 3 (1)
Eastern Province 2 (1)
Easterns 1
Kimberley 1

Gauteng formerly named Transvaal
KwaZulu-Natal formerly named Natal
Free State formerly named Orange Free State

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